Pune, India: A chartered aircraft carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar crashed while attempting to land at Baramati Airport on Wednesday morning, killing multiple people including Pawar, officials and news agencies reported.
The crash occurred during what authorities described as an emergency landing attempt in Baramati, located in Pune district. Early reports suggest the aircraft suffered a catastrophic failure while on final approach to the runway.
According to preliminary information from the Press Trust of India (PTI) cited reports, Ajit Pawar and at least five other individuals on board died in the accident. The DGCA said all six on board, including Pawar, two staff members, and two crew and the pilot were killed in the crash.
The wreckage showed significant structural breakup after the aircraft crashed, and that emergency services were deployed to the site immediately after the incident.
Ajit Pawar was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati to attend a series of political events related to the forthcoming Zilla Parishad elections. Media reports stated that the aircraft was a chartered Learjet 45 and was carrying the deputy chief minister along with security personnel, pilots and other passengers.
Baramati Airport manager Shivaji Taware told reporters the aircraft went off the side of the runway before crashing, though exact details of what precipitated the accident are still under investigation.
State emergency services, including fire and rescue teams, responded swiftly to the crash site. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and other aviation authorities are expected to launch a formal investigation into the cause of the crash. Factors such as technical issues, weather, or procedural error are yet to be confirmed.
Official statements from the Maharashtra government and spokespersons for the NCP are anticipated later today as authorities gather more information and complete an initial assessment of the accident.
