A passenger plane flying to London crashed in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad with 242 people on board, aviation officials said in what the airline described as a “tragic accident,” AFP reported.

Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner flying to London Gatwick, crashed shortly after takeoff, officials said.

India's aviation minister said he was “shocked and devastated” by the crash in Ahmedabad.

Indian civil aviation authorities said “242 people were on board,” including two pilots and 10 cabin crew members.

The Air India plane sent a distress signal and “crashed immediately after takeoff,” the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said.

The civil aviation authority said the plane crashed outside the airport perimeter.

Ahmedabad, the main city of the Indian state of Gujarat, is home to about 8 million people, and the busy airport is located in a densely populated residential area.

Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Khinjarapu ordered “all aviation and emergency services to take swift and coordinated action.”

“Rescue teams have been mobilized and all efforts are being made to provide emergency medical assistance and support at the scene of the accident. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone on board and their families,” he added.

Air India confirmed the crash.

“It is with deep sorrow that I confirm that Air India flight 171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick has suffered a tragic accident today,” said Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran.

“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event,” the airline's chairman said.

A crisis center has been activated and a team has been set up to support families seeking information, he added.

India has suffered a series of fatal plane crashes, including the 1996 crash when two planes collided in midair over New Delhi, killing nearly 350 people.

In 2010, an Air India Express plane crashed and burst into flames at Mangalore airport in southwestern India, killing 158 of the 166 passengers and crew members on board.

Decades earlier, in June 1985, an Air India Boeing 747 flying from Montreal to London crashed into the sea off Ireland with 329 people on board, with no survivors.

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