UNITED NATIONS, June 12 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is deeply saddened by the news of an Air India plane crash that led to more than 200 deaths, said his spokesman on Thursday.

The secretary-general extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and government of India, as well as to all countries whose citizens were affected by this tragedy. He wishes a swift and full recovery to those injured, said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for Guterres, in a statement.

The London-bound Air India flight with 242 people on board crashed Thursday shortly after takeoff from an airport in Ahmedabad in the western state of Gujarat.

The Indian Foreign Ministry said a lot of people have lost their lives in the crash, without giving an exact figure on the death toll.

The Boeing 787-8 aircraft had 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian, plus 12 cabin crew members on board when it crashed. The plane struck a medical college hostel during the crash. ■