India, June 12 -- An Air India Ltd. Boeing Co. 787 aircraft crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon, bursting into a massive ball of fire just minutes after takeoff.

Dramatic video footage shows the plane flying at a dangerously low altitude before it slammed into the ground and exploded on impact. Flames and thick black smoke were seen rising from the crash site, prompting immediate emergency response.

Flight 171 crashed shortly after takeoff. The flight was carrying 242 passengers and crew. The airline had reached an altitude of 625 feet at a speed of 174 kilometre per second, according to data from Flightradar24. Social media videos showed black smoke billowing from afar.

Air India's fleet includes 128 aircraft from Airbus SE and...