Mumbai: Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar was killed on Wednesday morning in a plane crash in Pune district, officials said. Four other people on board the aircraft also died in the accident.
According to officials, the crash occurred when a chartered aircraft carrying Pawar was attempting to land in the Baramati area. The aircraft went down during the landing process, leaving no survivors.
Initial information indicates that the aircraft was a Learjet 45 and was carrying five people, including Pawar, a personal security officer, an aide, and two crew members — the pilot-in-command and the first officer. Aviation authorities said all those on board were killed in the crash.
A senior official from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said a team had been dispatched to the crash site to investigate the circumstances leading to the accident. The exact cause of the crash is yet to be determined.
Pawar was travelling to Baramati to attend a scheduled programme when the incident occurred. Emergency services reached the site shortly after the crash, and the area was secured for investigation.
The incident has triggered widespread shock across Maharashtra’s political landscape, with several leaders expressing grief over the loss of the senior leader. Further details are awaited as investigations continue.
