Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday to enquire about the plane crash in which Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was killed.
Pawar, 66, and four other persons were killed after an aircraft carrying them crashed near his hometown, Baramati, in Pune district on Wednesday morning, officials said.
The aircraft took off from Mumbai around 8 am and crashed approximately 45 minutes later. The veteran leader was scheduled to attend four important public meetings ahead of local body polls in the region.
Visuals from the crash site showed fire and smoke, with mangled remains of the aircraft scattered across the area. Ambulances rushed to transport victims to nearby hospitals, though the Directorate General of Civil Aviation confirmed that all five passengers on board died in the crash.
Ajit Pawar was the nephew of veteran politician and NCP founder Sharad Pawar, and the cousin of Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule. Both Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule, who were in Delhi attending the Parliament’s budget session, are expected to leave for Pune shortly.
Details about the cause of the crash are awaited as aviation authorities begin their investigation into the accident.
