New Delhi, January 28:
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was killed on Wednesday morning after the chartered aircraft he was travelling in crash-landed at Baramati airport, officials said. Several others on board the aircraft also lost their lives in the accident.
According to preliminary information from aviation sources and state officials, the aircraft was attempting to land at around 8:45 am after departing from Mumbai when it veered off the runway during the landing approach. Visuals from the site showed wreckage near the landing strip and smoke rising from the crash area.
Emergency response teams, including local police and fire services, rushed to the spot soon after the incident. Officials said victims were pulled out of the wreckage and taken to nearby medical facilities, where Ajit Pawar and others on board were declared dead.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and other aviation authorities are expected to carry out a detailed investigation to ascertain the cause of the crash. Initial assessments indicate that technical or operational factors during the landing phase may have played a role, though officials said the exact cause would be determined only after a thorough probe.
Ajit Pawar was a senior leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and a key figure in Maharashtra politics. Nephew of veteran leader Sharad Pawar, he served multiple terms as a minister and held the post of Deputy Chief Minister, playing a central role in the state’s governance and administration.
His sudden death has sent shockwaves across Maharashtra and the country, with political leaders across party lines expressing shock and grief.
At the time of filing this report, official statements from the Maharashtra government, the DGCA and the local administration were awaited regarding the full list of casualties and further details of the investigation.
Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar killed in chartered aircraft crash at Baramati
