Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party chief Ajit Pawar and five others died in a plane crash near Baramati on Wednesday morning. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has confirmed that all six passengers on board are dead.
The plane crash occurred while the plane was landing in the Baramati area. Distressing visuals from the scene depicted thick plumes of smoke and fire rising from the mangled wreckage of the aircraft.
Emergency responders and local residents rushed to the site, with ambulances arriving shortly after to assist, while onlookers desperately tried to provide aid amidst the debris.
The crash took place at around 9 am, roughly one hour after the flight had departed from Mumbai.
Deputy CM Pawar’s family rushed to the accident site. Incidentally, his wife and party MP Sunetra, and son, Parth, were set to leave for Baramati from Delhi, along with the leader’s cousin, and NCP-SP working president Supriya Sule.
The timing has left the political community in deep shock as the state grapples with the sudden loss of a senior leader.
At the time of the incident, Ajit Pawar was travelling to his home turf of Baramati to participate in public meetings connected to the ongoing Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections. His commitment to his constituency remained a priority until his final moments.
Senior security officials and emergency services reached the Baramati site shortly after the aircraft lost control during its landing phase. Rescue teams were deployed immediately.
Pune Superintendent of Police said that three bodies were moved to the Baramati Medical College for identification. A team of DGCA officials has arrived at the plane crash site.
More details were awaited about the plane crash. Reports said that locals had rushed to the spot on seeing the plane crashing.
This incident comes after several aviation-related scares for the leader. In October 2024, a helicopter intended 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 bad weather.
