At least 200 people aboard an Air India plane heading for London Gatwick have died, after the plane crashed seconds after departing from Ahmedabad, western India this morning at 9:08 (BST). The few survivors of the crash include one 40-year old British national.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft was carrying a total of 242 passengers at the time of the crash. According to Air India reports, there were 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian on the flight.

The local police chief in the region has stated that while 204 bodies have been recovered so far, it's not yet known how many of those casualties were on the plane or on the ground when the plane crashed into a doctors hostel, requiring at least 50 medical students to be treated for their injuries. 

Horrifying footage has spread rampantly throughout the media, most notably a video clip showing the plane taking off before crashing down into a developed area. The crash was followed by clouds of thick black smoke that rose up over the crash site. One BBC reporter who hurried to the scene described the unfolding horrors and the scale of the crash, likening the aftermath to “an apocalyptic scene”.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed the sentiments of several officials, and informed the public that a UK team had been dispatched to Gujarat to aid in the investigation, and urged the relatives of anyone affected to contact the Foreign Office. Starmer added: “Our hearts and our thoughts are absolutely with the friends and families of everyone affected who’ll be absolutely devastated by this awful news”. 

‍

One of the very lucky survivors and perhaps the only survivor from the plane itself is 40-year-old British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. Ramesh was reportedly travelling with his brother but the pair were seated separately and his brother remains missing. Ramesh, speaking from his hospital bed, stated:  “There was a huge bang just seconds after takeoff. I ran through smoke and fire.”

‍

Reporters spoke with Ramesh’s Leicester-based brother Nayankumar, 27, who shared that his family “were just shocked as soon as [they] heard it". Nyankumar added that Ramesh told him after surviving the crash: "I have no idea how I exited the plane." Vidhi Chaudhary, a senior police officer in Ahmedabad, said Mr. Ramesh was seated near the emergency exit and managed to escape by jumping out through the emergency door.

Footage widely shared on social media showed him limping away from the crash site and being led toward emergency services. Viswashkumar is married with one child and has lived in London for 20 years. A large scale search operation including British and American search teams, is continuing overnight at and around the crash site.