Plane carrying Maharashtra's Ajit Pawar crashes, no survivors

Maharashtra deputy chief minister and Nationalist Congress Party chief Ajit Pawar and four others died after an aircraft carrying them crashed in Baramati town of Pune district on Wednesday morning.

Pawar was one of the state's key power brokers, after the June 2023 split from uncle Sharad Pawar's side. Pawar, 66, was in a private aircraft flying from Mumbai to Baramati, the family's political stronghold, and which crashed while attempting to land an hour later.

Pawar leaves behind his wife Sunetra, a Rajya Sabha MP, and two sons, Parth and Jay.

The small aircraft involved was a privately operated chartered plane that had departed from Mumbai for a series of scheduled political rallies. Pawar was to attend four important public meetings ahead of the local body polls, as per PTI. 

 According to preliminary reports from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the plane encountered severe technical difficulties and instability during its final approach at approximately 8:45 am. The pilot reportedly lost control while attempting to land at Baramati airport, causing the aircraft to crash-land and burst into flames on the runway. Among the others who died are two pilots and two passengers, including one attendant and Pawar's personal security officer.

Visuals from the crash site showed the aircraft completely destroyed, with debris scattered across the area as thick smoke and flames engulfed the wreckage.

As the news sent shockwaves across the country, several politicians expressed their grief.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: "Saddened by the tragic air crash in Baramati, Maharashtra. My thoughts are with all those who lost their loved ones in the crash. Praying for strength and courage for the bereaved families in this moment of profound grief."

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari told PTI , "The details received about the plane crash are very upsetting and sad."

And Union Minister Giriraj Singh added, "This is a very tragic incident for both the social and political spheres. Such an incident has not been seen in the past decades. He was a well-known leader of the country, and it would be very difficult to make up for such a loss."

The plane was a Learjet 45 aircraft (registration VT-SSK), operated by VSR.

This wasn't the first turbulent flight the Learjet 45 had encountered; it was involved in a crash in 2023 as well.