India, June 12 -- More than 50 British nationals were onboard the London-bound Air India flight that crashed in Gujarat's Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon shortly after takeoff on Thursday.

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the flight had 232 passengers and 10 crew members when it went down in a residential area near the airport.

Air India confirmed: "Flight AI171, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, was involved in an accident today after take-off. The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals."

The airline added:...