In what is being described as one of the worst air disasters, an Air India aircraft en route to London Gatwick crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon. The plane had 242 people on board.

It has been reported that soon after takeoff, the pilot of the ill-fated Air India flight gave a Mayday call to the Ahmedabad air traffic controller (ATC). However, thereafter, no response was given by the aircraft to the calls made by ATC, aviation regulator DGCA said in a statement.

Emergency response teams and local authorities rushed to the scene within minutes. While the exact death toll has not yet been confirmed, multiple casualties and serious injuries are feared.