DEPUTY Chief Minister, Maharashtra State in India, Ajit Anantrao Pawar, and four others died in a plane crash on Wednesday, January 28.

The disaster occurred after a charter aircraft conveying them crash-landed near Baramati Airport in Pune district in the early hours.

Officials said the Learjet 45 aircraft, registered VT‑SSK, had visibility crisis while attempting to land, consequently crashing and exploding in flames. All five people on board, including Pawar, his two aides, and two pilots were killed as ball fires rolled in waves and smokes billowed at the scene of the tragedy.

A statement from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said, “no person on board has survived the crash.”

The incident followed a similar crash in June 2025, involving a London-bound Air India plane which crashed shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad, western India.

Reports indicated that up to 242 people were onboard, and the aircraft crashed in a residential area. According to the flight tracking website FlightRadar, the ill-fated aircraft was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with registration VT-ANB.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned Pawar’s death in an official post on X, saying: “Shri Ajit Pawar Ji was a leader of the people, having a strong grassroots level connect. He was widely respected as a hardworking personality at the forefront of serving the people of Maharashtra. His understanding of administrative matters and passion for empowering the poor and downtrodden were also noteworthy. His untimely demise is very shocking and saddening. Condolences to his family and countless admirers. Om Shanti.”

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a three‑day state mourning period, with flags at half‑mast and official events paused as a mark of respect.

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde described the accident as “a very painful incident… very sad and unfortunate for Maharashtra” and confirmed that authorities had launched a full investigation into the crash.