Air India crash: Tata Group, the majority owner, releases statement - as airline launches dedicated passenger hotline number

Attributed to Natarajan Chandrasekaran, the chairperson of Air India, it said it confirmed with "profound sorrow" the flight was involved in a "tragic accident". It said: "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."

The group will share more updates as they receive more information, they added. An emergency centre has been "activated" and support teams have been set up for families.

Air India has launched a dedicated passenger hotline number for foreign nationals: +91 8062779200. A reminder that concerned Britons have been told they can call 0207 008 5000, the Foreign Office said earlier.

There appear to be no survivors from a Gatwick Airport-bound plane carrying 53 British nationals which crashed shortly after take-off in India, a police commissioner has said. Ahmedabad police commissioner Gyanendra Singh Malik told the Associated Press that “some locals would also have died” in the crash on Thursday.

A video of the incident circulating online shows the Air India aircraft, which was carrying more than 240 people, flying over a residential area before crashing, creating what appears to be a huge fireball followed by large plumes of black smoke. Images of the aftermath of the crash showed parts of the plane embedded into a residential building as firefighters continued to tackle the smoke.