'I Saw It Crash & Explode': Eyewitness Recounts Baramati Plane Crash That Killed Ajit Pawar; Video

Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four other persons were killed after a small aircraft carrying them crashed while attempting to land in Baramati on Wednesday morning, officials confirmed.

#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
— ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2026

An eyewitness present near the crash site described the horrifying moments leading up to the tragedy. “I saw it with my own eyes. This is really painful. When the aircraft descended, it looked like it would crash and it did. There was a massive explosion. After that, we rushed here and saw the aircraft on fire. There were four to five more explosions inside the plane. People tried to pull those inside out, but the fire was too intense. Ajit Pawar was on board. I can’t describe this pain in words,” the eyewitness said.

Details On The Tragic Crash

The crash occurred as the aircraft was landing in the Baramati area of Pune district. Initial reports suggested that all five occupants had sustained serious injuries. However, it was later confirmed that there were no survivors. News agency PTI confirmed the death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

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According to an occurrence report, the aircraft involved was a Learjet 45 bearing registration number VT-SSK, operated by VSR. Preliminary information indicates that five people were on board, including the pilot-in-command, a first officer, and three passengers. Ajit Pawar was reportedly travelling with a personal security officer and an attendant.

The aircraft reportedly went down in an open field near Baramati airport during the landing attempt. Videos from the crash site have surfaced on social media, showing the severely damaged aircraft engulfed in flames as emergency responders rushed to the scene.