E-Paper
Massive fire, plane split on impact: What we know so far about Ajit Pawar plane crash
Ajit Pawar had left from Mumbai early morning to visit Baramati for addressing four public meetings ahead of Zilla Parishad polls.
Nationalist Congress leader and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has died after his plane crashed before landing in Baramati on Wednesday morning.
Five people were on board the plane, including Pawar and his security staff. The deputy CM had left from Mumbai early morning to visit Baramati, his hometown, to address four public meetings ahead of the Zilla Parishad polls. Follow latest updates on Ajit Pawar death news
Kiran Gurjar, a close aide of Ajit Pawar in Baramati, said, “All six people including Ajit Pawar brought dead.”
Ajit Pawar’s brother Shriniwas Pawar said, “Its very sad moment for us. No one survived the crash. My son Yugendra is in the hospital at Baramati. We are all headed to Baramati. The last rites will be in Baramati.”
Ajit Pawar dies in plane crash | What we know
1. Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar left from his Mumbai home early in the morning to visit his hometown, Baramati, in Pune, to attend and address four public gatherings ahead of Zilla Parishad polls.
2. Ajit Pawar's plane, a Lear jet 45, VT-SSK, crashed at the threshold of runway 11 at Baramati airport at 8:48 am. The aircraft immediately burst into flames, leaving no survivors.
3. The NCP leader, two of his security staff, two crew members, were on board the plane, and all of them have died in the incident, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed.
4. Kiran Gurjar, a close aide of Ajit Pawar, also confirmed the incident to HT, and said, "All the people including Ajit Pawar brought dead.”
5. Pune Superintendent of Police Sandeep Gill said, “When the plane crashed, we recovered three bodies first.”
6. Baramati airport manager Shivaji Taware told Hindustan Times that the aircraft, VT SSK, was attempting landing and the aircraft went on the side of the runway and exploded on crashing. He said it was Lear Jet 45 and was chartered from Mumbai.
7. The Baramati airport, which was run by a private operator, was recently handed over to Maharashtra airport development company.
8. DGCA chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai said that an inquiry has been constituted into the crash.
(with inputs from Yogesh Naik and Faisal Malik)
