The Air India flight cr,ash,ed during a journey from Ahmedabad, India to London Gatwick

‘At least 30 bo.dies’ have been recovered from the site of a cra.sh in Ahmedabad, India.

Reuters initially broke the news of the d.ea.th toll so far, having been informed by rescue personnel at the site.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was headed for London Gatwick Airport when it crashed less than a minute after take-off.

Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the Directorate of Civil Aviation, previously told the Associated Press that there were 244 people on board when it crashed ‘into a doctors’ hostel’ just outside of the airport.

232 of the individuals on board were passengers, with 12 being members of the crew.

53 have since been confirmed as British nationals, with 169 being hailing from India. Seven individuals on board are from Portugal, with a further single traveller hailing from Canada.

Videos and photographs show the aircraft flying close to the residential area before hitting the ground, after which an explosion can be seen, sending black smoke clouds into the sky.

The flight was intended to arrive at London’s Gatwick Airport at 18:25, but FlightRadar previously confirmed that signal had been lost at just 625 feet in the air.

According to New Delhi TV reporter Dishha Bagchi, who spoke to Sky News, six emergency service teams are currently responding to the incident, with rescuers attempting to free any injured individuals trapped in the rubble.

“So far, we have seen some people being taken to the hospital,” she told the publication.

Air India’s chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, later issued a statement online, writing: “With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India flight, AI 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.”

His statement continued: “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.”

British Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer has also spoken out, telling press ‘the scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating’.

Narendra Modi, Indian PM added that the incident is ‘heartbreaking beyond words’.

“The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us,” he said in a statement.

“In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it.”

The cause of the c.rash is not yet known.