In a devastating accident early this morning, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar died when the chartered aircraft he was travelling in crashed while attempting to land at Baramati Airport. Pawar was headed to Baramati to attend a public rally for the Zilla Parishad Elections. He was 66.
Officials and emergency responders say the Learjet 45 business jet (registration VT-SSK), flying from Mumbai to Baramati, lost control during an emergency landing attempt and crash-landed near the runway, bursting into flames on impact. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that Pawar, two members of his security staff and two crew members were on board the aircraft and all of them died in the crash.
Eyewitnesses speaks about Ajit Pawar plane crash
According to a video shared by ANI, an eyewitness shared, "I saw it with my eyes. This is really painful. When the aircraft descended, it seemed it would crash, and it did crash. It then exploded. There was a massive explosion. After that, we rushed here and saw that the aircraft was on fire. There were 4-5 explosions in the aircraft again. More people came here, and they tried to pull the people out (of the aircraft). But since this was a huge fire, people could not help. Ajit Pawar was onboard and this is really painful for us. I can't describe it in words..."
As per PTI, a woman shared that she noticed the aircraft in the morning as it circled the Baramati airport. "It took a round in the air, appeared a bit unstable and as it was approaching the runway to land, it hit the ground hard and exploded. There was a loud sound that could be heard at our home," the woman told a news channel.
She said several parts of the aircraft were hurled into the air after the explosion and fell near her house. "The plane tilted before coming down. We saw the explosion and it was frightening," she said.
Another eyewitness also said the aircraft appeared to be losing control as it descended. "The way the plane was coming down, we felt it was going to crash. It was around 100 feet above the runway. As we rushed towards it, we saw flames, followed by four to five consecutive blasts, which prevented us from going anywhere near the aircraft," he told reporters. "It was a major fire. We later learned that Pawar was on the aircraft. It was shocking for us," he added.Shocking videos capture a massive fire with dense smoke rising over the vicinity as emergency responders quickly arrive at the location. Authorities confirmed that the plane was entirely consumed by the flames. Images from the site reveal the aircraft broken into fragments, with wreckage scattered over a vast area. The debris reflects the force of the crash, resulting in the fatalities of all five individuals aboard, including Ajit Pawar.
Grief and sorrow have rippled through political ranks nationwide. Leaders from across party lines have expressed condolences and called the accident a moment of profound grief for the state. As details continue to emerge, authorities are expected to release further information on flight data, passenger identification and the ongoing crash investigation.
Also read: Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, dies in plane crash in Baramati
