At least five people, including Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, were killed in a fatal plane crash near Baramati on Tuesday (Jan 28) morning, triggering an immediate activation of emergency medical and disaster response systems across the district.
The deceased have been identified as Ajit Pawar (66), Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Vidip jadhav, PInky Mali, Sumit Kapur (Pilot) and Sambhavi Pathak.
The Learjet 45 aircraft, operated by private firm VSR, had taken off from Mumbai at around 8.10 am and crashed while attempting to land near Baramati airport approximately 30 minutes later. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that all five occupants on board died in the crash.
Following the incident, district health authorities placed nearby hospitals on high alert. Ambulances, trauma teams, and fire and rescue units were rushed to the crash site. Visuals from the scene showed flames, dense smoke, and mangled aircraft debris, while emergency medical personnel worked to recover and transport the victims to nearby hospitals, where they were declared dead on arrival.
Superintendent of Police Sandip Singh Gill said a fire broke out immediately after the crash. Data from flight tracking platform Flightradar24 showed that the aircraft disappeared from radar around 8.45 am while attempting a second landing.
Ajit Pawar was scheduled to attend multiple public meetings ahead of the upcoming local body elections. A veteran administrator, he served as Deputy Chief Minister under four Chief Ministers Prithviraj Chavan, Uddhav Thackeray, Eknath Shinde, and Devendra Fadnavis. He was the nephew of NCP founder Sharad Pawar and cousin of Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule. He is survived by his wife Sunetra and sons Parth and Jay.
The incident has renewed focus on aviation safety, emergency trauma preparedness, and coordination between aviation authorities, fire services, and district health departments, particularly in semi-urban regions. An aircraft of the same model had crashed in Mumbai in September 2023.
Condolences poured in from across the political spectrum, with national leaders expressing grief and solidarity with the bereaved family.