NEW DELHI, June 12 -- An Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon.

The aircraft, bound for London, plunged into the Meghani area of the city, sending up a massive plume of black smoke and triggering an immediate emergency response.

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), there were 242 people on board the aircraft - 230 passengers, 2 pilots, and 10 cabin crew members.

The aircraft was under the command of Capt Sumeet Sabharwal, with First Officer Clive Kundar.

The flight was heavily fueled for the long-haul journey, adding to the intensity of the explosion and fire that followed the crash.

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