An Air India flight with 242 people onboard crashed near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad city on Thursday.

Without specifying whether there were any casualties, Air India said: ?Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today.?

The airline said it was ?ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest? on its website and X account.

At least 242 people ? including 230 passengers, 2 pilots and 10 cabin crew members ? were onboard the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, Times of India quoted the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) as saying.

Visuals showed debris on fire, with thick black smoke rising up into the sky near the airport.

TV channels also showed visuals of people being moved in stretchers and being taken away in ambulances.

Flight-tracking website Flightradar24 said signal from the plane was lost at 10:08am local time (9:48am PKT) at 625 feet, less than a minute after take-off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.