Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party chief Ajit Pawar and five others were killed after a plane crashed while attempting to land near Baramati on Wednesday morning, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation confirmed.
The aircraft went down around 9 a.m., roughly an hour after taking off from Mumbai. Visuals from the crash site showed thick smoke, flames, and mangled wreckage, as emergency responders and locals rushed to assist. Ambulances were seen ferrying victims to nearby medical facilities, while police secured the area.
Initial reports from local television channels and sources on the ground had suggested that Pawar and his security personnel had survived the crash, with some outlets reporting that he was being medically evaluated following the impact. However, these early accounts were later contradicted by official confirmation from aviation authorities, who stated that all six people on board the aircraft had died.
According to officials, the plane lost control during the landing phase. The exact cause of the crash remains unclear, with authorities yet to determine whether technical failure, weather conditions or other factors were responsible. A team from the DGCA has reached the site to begin a detailed investigation into the incident.
Three bodies were shifted to Baramati Medical College, where identification procedures are underway, the Pune Superintendent of Police said. The number of passengers on board was initially unclear, but officials later confirmed that six people were travelling in the aircraft, all of whom were killed.
Pawar was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati to attend a public meeting amid the ongoing elections to Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis. Senior security officials and emergency services were deployed immediately after the crash was reported, and rescue operations continued for several hours.
Family members of the deputy chief minister rushed to Baramati after receiving news of the crash. Pawar’s wife and Member of Parliament Sunetra Pawar, his son Parth Pawar, and his cousin and NCP-SP working president Supriya Sule were reportedly en route to Baramati from Delhi at the time of the incident.
Eyewitnesses said residents from nearby areas ran towards the crash site upon hearing a loud explosion, attempting to help before emergency personnel arrived. Police later cordoned off the area to facilitate rescue and investigation work.
The incident adds to a series of aviation-related scares involving Pawar in recent years. In October 2024, a helicopter scheduled to pick up his party colleague Sunil Tatkare crashed in Pune. There have also been previous instances of emergency landings involving aircraft carrying the leader, reportedly due to adverse weather conditions.
Senior officials said more details would be released after preliminary findings from the DGCA investigation. Authorities are expected to examine flight data, maintenance records and weather conditions at the time of landing.
The crash has cast a pall over Maharashtra’s political landscape, coming at a time of heightened political activity due to local body elections. Further announcements regarding official inquiries and arrangements are awaited as the investigation continues.
