Dhaka, June 12 -- At least 30 people were killed after an Air India plane carrying 242 people crashed shortly after takeoff near Ahmedabad on Thursday, according to authorities. The toll is expected to rise as rescue efforts continue.

The London-bound flight was en route to Gatwick Airport when it crashed into a residential area near the airport. Officials confirmed the aircraft struck a building housing a doctors' hostel at BJ Medical College.

"Around 70 to 80 percent of the site has been cleared," said a senior police officer. Rescue teams are working to recover those still trapped in the debris. Local media reported several medical students among the dead, as the crash struck the hostel's dining area.

Air India confirmed that the fl...