Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar died today morning, after a chartered aircraft carrying him crashed while attempting to land at Baramati airport in Pune district, officials said.
The plane, which had taken off from Mumbai, reportedly ran into trouble during its final approach and crash-landed near the runway, bursting into flames on impact.
Five people were on board the aircraft, including Ajit Pawar, two pilots and two other staff members. All occupants were killed, authorities confirmed. Emergency services rushed to the spot, but there were no survivors. The DGCA has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.