Visuals from the site showed fire and thick smoke, with the aircraft reduced to mangled debris. Emergency services and senior security officials rushed to the spot, while local residents also joined rescue efforts, attempting to help in every possible way
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar and five others were killed on Wednesday after the aircraft they were travelling in crashed while landing near Baramati, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed.
The plane, which had taken off from Mumbai, went down around 9 a.m., nearly an hour into the flight, as it attempted to land in Baramati. Initial local television reports had suggested that Pawar may have survived or suffered injuries, but the DGCA later confirmed that all six passengers on board died in the crash.
Visuals from the site showed fire and thick smoke, with the aircraft reduced to mangled debris. Emergency services and senior security officials rushed to the spot, while local residents also joined rescue efforts, attempting to help in every possible way.
Rescue teams were deployed immediately after the aircraft reportedly lost control during the landing phase. Three bodies were shifted to the Baramati Medical College, where identification is underway, according to the Pune Superintendent of Police. A DGCA team has reached the crash site to begin a detailed investigation into the cause of the accident.
Ajit Pawar was travelling to Baramati to attend a public meeting amid the ongoing elections to the Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis. Following the crash, his family rushed to Baramati. Incidentally, his wife and party MP Sunetra Pawar, his son Parth, along with his cousin and NCP-SP working president Supriya Sule, were preparing to travel to Baramati from Delhi.
In New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to take stock of the situation. According to Maharashtra government officials, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister were briefed about the accident and the latest developments.
This tragedy comes after several aviation-related scares involving the leader in recent years. In October 2024, a helicopter meant to pick up his party colleague Sunil Tatkare crashed in Pune, and there have been previous instances of emergency landings in the region due to adverse weather conditions.
