New Delhi, June 12 -- In one of India's worst aviation disasters, more than 200 people lost their lives on Thursday when an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

Flight AI171, en route to London's Gatwick Airport, was carrying 242 people-including 230 passengers and 12 crew members-when it went down in a densely populated area near B.J. Medical College in the city's Meghani Nagar locality. The aircraft issued a Mayday distress call moments after takeoff, indicating a serious emergency before losing contact and crashing into residential buildings.

As of the latest official count, 204 bodies have been recovered, and 41 people-including residents and stu...