Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar passed away on Wednesday in a plane crash in Baramati.
The crash took place shortly before 9 AM as the Maharashtra Dy CM was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati to address four public rallies ahead of the Zillia Parishad elections.
Five people, including a senior NCP leader, were on board the flight, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed there were no survivors in the crash.
Authorities have already launched an investigation into the tragic crash. As the probe continues, we take a look at the details that have emerged thus far.
What led to the plane crash?
While details about the crash are scarce at the moment, preliminary reports suggest technical issues and poor visibility may have contributed.
PTI, citing flight-tracking data, reported that the plane, a Bombardier Aerospace Learjet 45, took off from Mumbai and flew for about 35 minutes before crash-landing near Baramati.
Pawar's plane took off from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) at 8.10 AM on Wednesday and disappeared from tracking screens at 8.45 AM.
The flight path showed the aircraft making a loop to line up with the runway at the Baramati airport, the Indian Express reported.
News18, meanwhile, reported that there were likely technical issues with the plane, which prompted the pilot to attempt an emergency landing.
However, while attempting the emergency landing, the aircraft reportedly skidded off the runway and crashed.
“The aircraft VT SSK was attempting a landing, and the aircraft went off the side of the runway and crashed,” Baramati airport manager Shivaji Taware told Hindustan Times.
PTI, citing sources, also reported that the pilot mentioned poor visibility before attempting the emergency landing, and it is understood that dense fog in the Pune district and the Baramati region may have played a role in the tragic accident.
What did eyewitnesses say?
An eyewitness told ANI that Pawar's plane appeared to be about to crash as it descended.
“When the aircraft descended, it seemed it would crash, and it did crash. It then exploded. There was a massive explosion,” the eyewitness was quoted as saying.
A series of explosions also reportedly followed, with the eyewitness telling ANI, “After that, we rushed here and saw that the aircraft was on fire. There were four to five explosions in the aircraft again.”
Visuals, meanwhile, showed the mangled wreckage of the plane and flames.
