Ajit Pawar plane accident: '4 to 5 explosions' - Eyewitness gives chilling account of deadly crash

• Ajit Pawar and four others died in a plane crash at Baramati airport
• Eyewitnesses reported multiple explosions and a massive fire after the crash
• A formal investigation into the crash will be conducted by the AAIB

Did our AI summary help?

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar was killed on Wednesday morning when a chartered aircraft crashed during its landing attempt at Baramati airport. All four others on board, including two pilots and two security personnel, also perished.

The Learjet 45 aircraft, registered VT-SSK and operated by private charter company VSR Aviation, departed Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at approximately 8.10 am.

According to flight tracking data from Flightradar24, the aircraft disappeared from radar at about 8.45 am, following a journey of roughly 35 minutes. The data indicates the jet was making a turn to align with the runway at Baramati airport just prior to the loss of signal.

Eyewitnesses at the scene described a harrowing sequence of events. One local present near the crash site gave an exclusive account to reporters, stating the aircraft’s descent appeared unstable. "I saw it with my own eyes. When the aircraft was coming down, it looked like it would crash and then it did," the witness said.

#WATCH | Crash landing in Baramati | Baramati, Maharashtra: An eyewitness at the spot says, "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. After that, we… pic.twitter.com/fBQplnxHON

Related Stories

• DGCA orders special safety audit of 14 charter operators after fatal Baramati crash
• Ajit Pawar plane crash: Rohit Pawar says 'room to suspect sabotage', flags pilot, operator lapses
• 'Heart truly overflowing with duty, carrying forward Ajitdada's legacy': Sunetra Pawar after oath as...

— ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2026

The impact was followed by a catastrophic fire. “There was a huge explosion, followed by fire. After that, there were four to five more explosions,” the eyewitness recounted, detailing how locals immediately rushed to assist. “Many people tried to pull passengers out, but the fire was too strong. It was very painful to watch. I cannot describe what I felt.”

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed in a preliminary report that there were no survivors. Given the severity of the incident, a formal investigation will be conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

Visuals from the site showed the extensive wreckage of the Learjet scattered across the area, with the fuselage consumed by intense flames and thick black smoke. Emergency services, including fire tenders, police and medical teams, were swiftly deployed but were faced with an insurmountable blaze.

Pawar, a pivotal political figure in Maharashtra, was returning to his hometown and political stronghold of Baramati. He had attended a state cabinet meeting in Mumbai on Tuesday and was scheduled to address four public meetings on Wednesday in connection with upcoming Zilla Parishad elections in the Pune region.

As of late Wednesday, there was no official statement from the deputy chief minister’s office or the state government regarding the precise cause of the crash. Authorities have stated that further details will be released following formal verification procedures.