Fadnavis condoles loss of ‘strong and generous friend’, declares three-day mourning in Maharashtra

MAHARASHTRA Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday expressed his grief and shock at the passing of his deputy Ajit Pawar in a tragic plane crash, and announced a three-day mourning in the state.

"Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar has lost his life in a plane accident. There is an atmosphere of sadness in the state. Losing a leader like him is an unprecedented loss," Fadnavis said in the aftermath of the crash in Baramati, which claimed four lives in addition to Pawar's.

"Such leadership takes many years to develop, and at a time when he was making very significant contributions to the state’s development, his passing is both unbelievable and shocking. Personally, I have lost a strong and generous friend. This is also an enormous loss for his family," the Maharashtra CM said, announcing a three-day mourning in Maharashtra.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar was headed to Baramati to address public rallies on Wednesday when the unexpected and tragic crash took place.

Pawar was travelling with an attendant and a personal security officer (PSO), and two others, the pilot-in-command and the first officer. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that none aboard survived the crash.

As news of Pawar's death broke, tributes poured in from leaders across the country, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and many others expressing their grief and shock at the incident.

The 66-year-old NCP leader is survived by his wife Sunetra Pawar, and their two sons, Parth and Jay.

What we know about the crash so far

An investigation is currently underway to ascertain what caused the crash.

What is known, however, is that the Maharashtra Deputy CM was travelling in a Bombardier Aerospace Learjet 45 aircraft operated by VSR Aviation.

The plane had taken off from Mumbai and was in the air for around 35 minutes before it disappeared off flight trackers and crash-landed in Baramati.

Preliminary reports suggest that the crash could have been caused by technical issues on board the flight, which prompted the pilot to seek an emergency landing.

However, poor visibility conditions likely prevented the plane from landing safely, and it skidded off the runway before erupting in a fiery explosion.

“The aircraft VT SSK was attempting a landing, and the aircraft went off the side of the runway and crashed,” Baramati airport manager Shivaji Taware told Hindustan Times.

Eyewitnesses also recalled seeing a massive explosion after the crash, which was followed by a series of smaller explosions.