Featured Image Credit: Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
Topics: India, World News, Politics
Ellie Kemp
Topics: India, World News, Politics
A senior Indian politician and four others have died in a plane crash on Wednesday morning (January 28).
Ajit Pawar, the eighth Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, was on board his Learjet 45 business jet when it crashed approximately 30 minutes after taking off in Mumbai.
The crash occurred near Baramati Airport in Maharashtra, as CCTV cameras caught the horrific moment it appeared to crash and go up in flames.
The footage, shared by NDTV, shows fires and smoke as the plane crashes just behind a highway.
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Flightradar24 data showed that the plane took off from Mumbai at 8.10am, attempting an unsuccessful first landing at 8.30am before trying again at around 8.42am.
The jet vanished off the radar minutes later.
An eyewitness claims the plane 'exploded and burst into a massive fire,' followed by 'four or five more explosions.'
The man, who spoke to NDTV, added: "People came and tried to pull out passengers from the aircraft. Due to the huge fire, they could not help…"
India Today writes that dense fog meant visibility at Baramati Airport was low, meaning there was 'around 800 meters visibility.'
Pawar was reportedly identified by his watch.
Two members of his staff and two crew members were onboard and also killed, as per the BBC.
The full circumstances of the crash are yet to be established.
The Maharashtra government has since confirmed three days of state mourning.
Warning: The below video contains footage of the plane crash which some readers may find distressing
Pawar was the longest-serving deputy chief minister in Maharashtra state's history, serving six terms non-consecutively.
He held key portfolios including finance, energy and water resources and had been in Mumbai for a cabinet meeting.
Pawar was traveling to Maharashtra for meetings about upcoming elections in Pune, India Today adds.
Pawar is survived by his wife, Sunetra Pawar, who is also a politician, social worker and member of parliament in the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra, as well as their two sons, Jay and Parth.
Tributes have began flooding in for the politician, including from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, he wrote: "Saddened by the tragic plane crash that occurred in Baramati, Maharashtra.
"My thoughts are with all those who lost their loved ones in the crash. Praying for strength and courage for the bereaved families in this moment of profound grief."
Politician Raj Thackeray also paid tribute on the social media site, writing in part: "Maharashtra's politics has lost an outstanding leader.
"Ajit Pawar and I entered politics around the same time, though our acquaintance came much later. But on the strength of his sheer passion for politics, Ajit Pawar took great strides in Maharashtra's political arena."