Ajit Pawar Dies in Fiery Plane Crash in Maharashtra
MUMBAI: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was among five people killed after a small aircraft crashed while attempting to land in Baramati city of Pune district on Wednesday, Indian media reported.
According to initial reports, the aircraft went down during landing, triggering a fire that engulfed the plane. Ajit Pawar, 66, was on an official visit to Baramati and was scheduled to address four election rallies in the area.
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that all five people on board the aircraft lost their lives in the crash. The victims include two pilots and members of the deputy chief minister’s security detail. Authorities have yet to release the identities of all the deceased.
Emergency services rushed to the site following the crash, while aviation and local authorities launched an investigation to determine the cause of the incident.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to express condolences and seek details about the tragedy. Ajit Pawar was a senior political leader and chief of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), with a long-standing role in Maharashtra politics.
The incident comes amid growing concern over aviation safety in India following a series of recent air accidents. In June 2025, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people with only one survivor. In another incident in November 2025, an Indian Air Force HAL Tejas fighter jet crashed during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show, killing its pilot.
Investigations into Wednesday’s crash are ongoing, and further details are expected to emerge following technical assessments and official briefings.
