Ajit Pawar plane crash: Eyewitness recounts fiery explosions that halted rescue attempts

Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos and devastation after the aircraft carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar crash-landed near Baramati airport on Wednesday, sending flames and thick smoke billowing into the sky. Pawar was travelling on a chartered flight from Mumbai to Baramati, where the 66-year-old was slated to address four public meetings in the run-up to the Zilla Parishad elections.

One witness said he saw the plane descend before erupting into violent explosions that made any rescue attempt impossible. “I saw it with my eyes. This is really painful. When the aircraft descended, it seemed it would crash, and it did crash. It then exploded. There was a massive explosion,” he said. “After that, we rushed here and saw that the aircraft was on fire. There were 4–5 explosions in the aircraft again. More people came here, and they tried to pull the people out (of the aircraft). But since this was a huge fire, people could not help,” the witness added.

According to News18, the aircraft encountered technical trouble while landing at the Baramati airstrip. Reports suggest that Pawar was scheduled to attend several events in Baramati on Wednesday.

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Along with Pawar, two security personnel, two crew members and an NCP worker were killed in the crash. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation confirmed that there were no survivors.

VIDEO | Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and five other persons were killed after an aircraft carrying them crashed in Pune district. Visuals from spot.

(Source: Third Party) pic.twitter.com/6UnMLKwqtp

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 28, 2026

PM expresses grief over Ajit Pawar’s demise

“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,” PM Modi said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), adding, “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.”

President Droupadi Murmu said, “The news of the death of several people, including Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Shri Ajit Pawar, in a plane crash in Baramati, Maharashtra, is extremely tragic. The untimely demise of Ajit Pawar ji is an irreparable loss. He will always be remembered for his special contribution to the development of Maharashtra, especially in the cooperative sector.”

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on X, “Deeply shocked and pained to learn about the untimely demise of Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, Shri Ajit Pawar. Throughout his long public life, he remained committed to the development and prosperity of Maharashtra.”

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has launched an investigation into the cause of the accident, initiating formal steps to determine what led to the crash as the situation continues to draw attention.