As investigators begin piecing together the circumstances behind the fatal plane crash that killed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, haunting eyewitness accounts from the crash site have revealed the sheer scale of destruction that followed the aircraft’s impact near Baramati airport.
An eyewitness who was present near the airport described watching the aircraft descend moments before it crashed and erupted into a series of massive explosions, leaving little chance for survival. “I saw it with my eyes. This is really painful,” the witness said. “When the aircraft was coming down, it looked like it would crash and it did. After that, there was a massive explosion.”
According to the eyewitness, the horror did not end with the initial blast. “After we rushed towards the site, we saw the aircraft completely on fire. There were four to five more explosions inside the aircraft. People tried to pull out those inside, but the fire was so intense that no one could help,” the witness recounted, visibly shaken.
The small chartered aircraft had taken off from Mumbai around 8 am and crashed approximately 45 minutes later while attempting to land at Baramati airport. Ajit Pawar was travelling with security personnel and pilots as he headed to his home constituency to attend a series of public meetings ahead of local Zilla Parishad elections. All those on board were killed in the crash.
Visuals from the site showed thick plumes of smoke rising from the wreckage, with mangled parts of the aircraft scattered across the area, underscoring the violence of the impact and the explosions that followed. Emergency responders and local residents reached the spot quickly, but the raging fire rendered rescue efforts futile.
The eyewitness, struggling to find words, said the loss of Ajit Pawar had deeply affected the local community. “Ajit Pawar was on board. This is very painful for us. I can’t describe it in words,” the witness said.
Condolences poured in from across the country, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing deep shock over Pawar’s death. Describing him as a grassroots leader with a strong understanding of administration, the Prime Minister said Pawar’s untimely demise was “very shocking and saddening.”
Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a formal investigation into the crash to determine the exact cause of the accident. Officials are expected to examine flight data, weather conditions, and technical factors as Maharashtra mourns the loss of one of its most influential political figures.
