MUMBAI (Diya TV) —Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar died Wednesday after a chartered aircraft traveling from Mumbai went down while attempting an emergency landing near Baramati, with fire reported at the crash site, according to aviation officials.
Early reports in the hours after the incident suggested there were injured survivors and did not clearly confirm whether Pawar was on board. As more information came in, the picture changed: India’s civil aviation regulator indicated the crash was fatal for everyone on the aircraft.
Officials say the plane came down during the landing phase at or near Baramati airport following an emergency landing attempt. Video from the scene showed heavy smoke, debris spread across an open area, and a crash site close to the airport boundary.
Local officials on the ground also indicated the impact and fire left no realistic chance of survival, aligning with the regulator’s updated position that the aircraft’s occupants did not make it out.
In the first wave of updates, different tallies circulated on how many people were on board. Some accounts indicated five total fatalities, while others suggested six. Aviation authorities are expected to clarify the final count once a complete manifest and formal report are released.
Authorities have not yet publicly identified what triggered the emergency landing. Investigators are expected to review the aircraft’s condition, flight history, and any available flight data, along with operational factors that could explain both the crash and the post-impact fire.
The incident sparked immediate shock in Maharashtra’s political circles, with condolences and tributes beginning to emerge soon after confirmation of Pawar’s death. Pawar had been traveling to Baramati, his political base, for scheduled public appearances when the aircraft went down.
