Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to take stock of the situation following the plane crash near Baramati involving Deputy Chief Minister , news agency IANS reported.
According to Maharashtra government officials, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister were briefed on the circumstances of the accident and the latest developments related to the crash.
DGCA confirms deaths of all on board
Ajit Pawar, who is also the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief, along with five others, lost their lives when the aircraft crashed while attempting to land near on Wednesday morning. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that all six persons on board the plane died in the accident.
Crash occurred during landing; rescue teams rush to site
The aircraft went down during the landing phase, with visuals from the site showing flames, thick smoke, and the wreckage of the plane scattered across the area. Ambulances and emergency responders were seen rushing to the spot, while local residents also attempted to assist rescue efforts.
Family members reach crash site, probe underway
The crash occurred around 9 am, roughly an hour after the aircraft departed from . Pawar was travelling to Baramati to attend a public meeting amid the ongoing elections to Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis.
Family members of the late deputy chief minister rushed to the crash site soon after the incident. His wife and NCP MP Sunetra Pawar, son Parth Pawar, and cousin, NCP-SP working president Supriya Sule, were reportedly scheduled to travel to Baramati from Delhi.
Emergency services and senior security officials reached the site immediately after the aircraft reportedly lost control while landing. Three bodies were shifted to Baramati Medical College, and the process of identification is underway, according to the Pune Superintendent of Police.
A team from the has also arrived at the crash site to begin a detailed probe into the cause of the accident. Locals were among the first to reach the spot after witnessing the aircraft go down.
The incident follows a series of aviation-related scares involving Pawar and his party colleagues in recent years. In October 2024, a helicopter meant to ferry NCP leader Sunil Tatkare crashed in Pune, while there have also been instances of emergency landings in the region due to adverse weather conditions.