Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was killed along with three others after the aircraft carrying him crashed during landing in Baramati on Wednesday morning.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar speaks at a public programme in an undated photograph. Pawar was killed in a plane crash in Baramati on Wednesday. | ANI
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was killed on Wednesday morning after the aircraft carrying him crashed while attempting to land in Baramati in Pune district, officials said.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday confirmed that all five people on board the chartered aircraft were killed in the crash landing at Baramati.
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Ajit Pawar was travelling on the plane along with two members of his security detail — one personal security officer (PSO) and one attendant — and two crew members, including the pilot-in-command and the first officer.
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“As per initial information, no person on board has survived the crash,” the DGCA said in a statement.
The incident occurred around 8.45 am as the chartered aircraft was approaching Baramati. Pawar was travelling from Mumbai to attend a public meeting linked to the ongoing Zilla Parishad elections, according to officials.
Also Read: Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar dies in plane crash in Baramati – LIVE Updates
Emergency services and senior security officials reached the site soon after the crash. Rescue teams rushed to the site within minutes. Residents from nearby areas gathered to help emergency workers in the first response.
Footage from Baramati showed the aircraft reduced to twisted metal, flames rising from the wreckage, and debris spread across the landing zone. Officials said the plane appeared to lose control while descending for landing, though the precise cause of the crash has not yet been confirmed.
Officials said an investigation has been ordered to determine whether the crash was caused by a technical failure or weather-related factors.
Pawar was in Mumbai on Tuesday, where he attended a meeting of the Maharashtra Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, before departing for Baramati early Wednesday.
Senior leaders across parties expressed shock at the sudden death of the veteran leader, who was one of the most influential political figures in Maharashtra.
More details are awaited as authorities continue assessment and recovery operations at the site.
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