A total of 53 Brits were on board an Air India flight bound for Gatwick Airport when the aircraft crashed just moments after take-off in Ahmedabad. The Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8, crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar just five minutes after taking off at 1:38 p.m. local time. The flight was carrying 242 passengers and crew. Of those, Air India said there were 169 Indians, 53 Brits, seven Portuguese and one Canadian. It is believed that 11 children were on board the flight. The Mirror understands the doomed plane crashed into a dining room for medical students who were eating their lunch. The crash site is at the student mess hall of the B J Medical College, just 2km from the end of the runway at Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. There are no official confirmation of casualties but we understand there multiple injuries to students who are being treated at the nearby Civil Hospital Ahmedaba. Harrowing footage showed smoke billowing from the crash site in what appeared to be a populated area near the airport in Ahmedabad, a city with a population of more than 5 million. The last signal was received seconds after take-off, according to Flight Radar, when the plane was at 625 feet. Gatwick Airport posted on X that it could confirm the flight, which had been due to arrive at 6:25 p.m. in London, had crashed on departure. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his thoughts were with the passengers and families of those on the Air India flight bound for Gatwick which crashed in Ahmedabad. He said: "The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating. "I am being kept updated as the situation develops, and my thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time." India's Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu posted on X that rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support at the site. Air India's chairman has expressed his 'profound sorrow' after this morning's crash. Natarajan Chandrasekaran said: "With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India Flight 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today. "Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event. "At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families. We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted. "Further updates will be shared as we receive more verified information. An emergency centre has been activated and support team have been set up for families seeking information.".