Minutes before the plane carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar crashed, killing him and four others, it was approaching the runway and reportedly fell about 100 feet, an eyewitness said.
“When the aircraft descended, it seemed it would crash—and it did. It then exploded and burst into a massive fire, followed by four to five more explosions,” the eyewitness added.
Locals rushed to the site upon seeing the plane engulfed in flames. “People tried to pull out passengers from the aircraft, but the fire was too intense to help,” the eyewitness said.
News of Pawar’s death in the Learjet 45 crash sparked a wave of mourning, with political colleagues, party workers, and well-wishers visibly in tears. Former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh was reportedly unable to issue a statement, while Pawar’s cousin and NCP(SP) leader Supriya Sule posted on social media, “Devastated.”
The plane had taken off from Mumbai about an hour earlier with Pawar, two crew members, an attendant, and a personal security officer on board. Reports suggest the aircraft lost control while attempting to land.(Agencies)
