Maharashtra, Jan 28 : Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others were killed when their aircraft crashed near Baramati in Pune district on Wednesday morning, eyewitnesses said the plane appeared unstable in the air before bursting into flames and exploding multiple times upon impact.
The ill fated flight had taken off from Mumbai at 8:10 am and disappeared from radar around 8:45 am, crashing at 8:50 am near Baramati airport. A woman witness said the aircraft circled the airport before its final descent, appearing unsteady in the air. “It hit the ground hard and exploded. Several parts were hurled into the air near our home. The explosion was frightening,” she said.
Another eyewitness described seeing flames followed by four to five consecutive blasts, making it impossible to approach the wreckage. The aircraft reportedly tilted as it descended, losing control just 100 feet above the runway.
The crash occurred while Pawar was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati to attend public meetings ahead of the February 5 zilla parishad elections. Superintendent of Police Sandip Singh Gill confirmed that a fire broke out after the crash and the occupants were immediately taken to the hospital, though all onboard succumbed to the accident.