London, Jun 12 (PTI) A British agency that investigates civil aircraft accidents and serious incidents on Thursday said it will be deploying a multidisciplinary investigation team to India to support the Indian-led investigation into the plane crash in Ahmedabad.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said it has "formally offered its assistance" to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau in India.

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It said it would have “expert status” in the Indian investigation because UK citizens were on board the plane.

"We are deploying a multidisciplinary investigation team to India to support the Indian-led investigation. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic accident,” AAIB said.

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The Air India plane carrying 242 passengers and crew crashed in a residential area in Ahmedabad minutes after taking off. There were 169 Indians, 53 British, one Canadian and seven Portuguese nationals onboard apart from 12 crew members.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)