Ahmedabad (Gujarat), June 12 -- An Air India flight bound for London's Gatwick airport crashed minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday, June 12.

AI171, carrying 242 passengers, went down within five minutes of departure at 1:38 PM, sending up plumes of smoke near the crash site.

Emergency services, including fire brigades, rushed to the scene. Three NDRF teams with 90 personnel were dispatched from Gandhinagar, with additional teams en route from Vadodara.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has been briefed on the situation and has spoken to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and senior officials, assuring full central assistance in the wake of the crash.

Further details are awa...