At the scene: 'Everyone is running, trying to save as many lives as possible'

The scene in Ahmedabad after the Air India passenger plane crashed shortly after take off is very shocking.

Smoke is still rising from the ruins of buildings at the crash site. Pictures show a burnt bed frame lying in the street.

Everyone is running, trying to save as many lives as possible.

Firefighters can be seen picking their way across the burnt ground, attempting to put out the still smouldering wreckage with their hoses.

Ambulances are all over the area. Roads are blocked.

On the edges, people whose relatives were travelling to London have started to gather.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner came down shortly after take off on Thursday afternoon local time, bound for London Gatwick. There were 242 people on board - mainly Indian nationals, but many British, and some Portuguese and a Canadian as well.

People in the western Indian city heard a loud sound first, then watched black smoke rising into the sky.

The plane came down on a doctors' hostel near the Civil Hospital, a short distance from the airport. It is unclear how many people were inside.

Ramila told Indian news agency ANI her son had just headed inside for a lunch break when the plane crashed there.

She said he jumped from the second floor and suffered injuries, but is safe.

Outside, people started to gather. The fire service was joined by volunteers from the local community.

Photos show people being carried off on stretchers, and placed into ambulances.

But also in the crowds were people whose family members were on board the flight.

Poonam Patel, who is at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, told ANI that his sister-in-law was on the flight to London.

"Within an hour, I got the news that the plane had crashed. So I came here."