T RAGEDY STRUCK India on the afternoon of June 12th. Air India flight 171 crashed moments after take-off from the airport in Ahmedabad, the biggest city in the western state of Gujarat. The Boeing 787 came down in a densely built-up area, exploding in a fireball. It was carrying 242 people. The plane last reported climbing to 625 feet at a ground speed of 200mph (322kph), according to data from Flightradar24, a flight-tracking service, before losing altitude. The pilots reportedly issued a mayday call in the final moments of the flight. Ahmedabad-based media say that the plane crashed into a medical-college hostel as students were eating lunch. Emergency services are on the scene.