New Delhi [India], June 14 (ANI): The entire nation mourns the tragic loss of lives in the London-bound Air India plane crash that occurred in Ahmedabad on Thursday, killing 241 out of 242 people on board, including crew members, and others.

The incident shook the country, triggering condolence meetings and prayer ceremonies in multiple states.

In Uttarakhand's Haridwar, hundreds of people gathered on the banks of Ganga river to offer prayers for the deceased.

Locals and priests performed rituals and lit lamps as a mark of respect for those who lost their lives in the horrific crash.

In Tamil Nadu, members of the Rameswaram People's Protection Council paid heartfelt homage to the victims at Agni Theertham beach in Pamban.

Flowers were floated into the sea, and silence was observed to remember the passengers and crew who died in the crash.

In Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow, the King George Medical University (KGMU) held a solemn condolence meeting to honour the memory of those who perished.

University officials and students came together to express grief and observe a moment of silence.

On Thursday, the Al-171 Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 aeroplane bound for London's Gatwick had crashed shortly after it took off from the Ahmedabad international airport. The airlines said only one person out of the 242 people on board the aircraft survived the crash.

The aircraft was piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience, assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 flying hours.

According to Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from runway 23. It made a Mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, the aircraft did not respond to the calls.

Immediately after departing Runway 23, the aircraft crashed outside the airport perimeter, and heavy black smoke began emanating from the accident site.

There were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national on board the crashed plane, airline authorities said. (ANI)