SRINAGAR: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others on board were reported dead after an aircraft crash-landed in Baramati in Pune district on Wednesday, aviation authorities said.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the deputy chief minister was travelling with two security personnel including a personal security officer and an attendant along with two crew members comprising the pilot-in-command and the first officer.
Preliminary information released by the DGCA indicated that none of the five occupants survived the crash, which occurred during an attempted landing at the Baramati airstrip.
Following the incident, rescue and relief teams were immediately rushed to the crash site, and emergency operations were launched at the airport premises.
Officials said the exact cause of the accident is yet to be determined, and a detailed investigation has been initiated to ascertain the circumstances leading to the crash.
