India, June 12 -- A London-bound Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner aircraft operated by Air India crashed shortly after taking off in Ahmedabad, in what stands to be the worst accident involving the US planemaker's most advanced widebody airliner.

Flight AI171 was carrying 242 passengers and crew. Video footage shared on social media showed a giant plume of smoke engulfing the crash site, with no reports of survivors.

The aircraft entered a slow descent shortly after taking off, with its landing gear still extended before exploding into a huge fireball upon impact. The crash took place in a residential area, which could mean a higher death toll. The twin-engine plane had reached an altitude of 625 feet or 190.5 metres at a speed of 174 knots, a...