Air India plane crash investigation underway. Here's what we know.

A large passenger plane crashed in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon, shortly after its departure for London Gatwick Airport, according to multiple officials and Air India, which operated the flight.

"Air India confirms that flight AI171, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, was involved in an accident today after take-off," the airline said in a statement posted to social media. 

The plane, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, left Ahmedabad at 1:38 p.m. local time with 242 passengers and crew on board. The plane went down minutes later in a residential area, hitting buildings, including the dining area of a medical college, officials said.