An Indian state’s deputy leader was killed along with four other people on Wednesday after their chartered aircraft crashed in the country’s west, officials said.
The plane carrying Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister, crashed in an open field at about 8:44 am (0314 GMT) while landing at the state’s Baramati airport, the civil aviation ministry said in a statement.
The 66-year-old, a key political figure in Maharashtra which is home to India’s financial hub Mumbai, was travelling in a Bombardier Learjet 45 aircraft, operated by private firm VSR Aviation.
Pawar’s personal security officer and an assistant as well as two crew members were also on board at the time of the crash, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said in a statement.
VSR Aviation owner V.K. Singh said the aircraft was “very well maintained”, ruling out any technical failure.
“There was absolutely no problem in the aircraft. There was no technical failure as far as we know,” he told reporters in New Delhi where the company is based.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Pawar as a “leader of the people” in a post on X following the crash.
Modi said Pawar’s death was “shocking and saddening”, calling him a “widely respected” and “hardworking” political stalwart.
“His understanding of administrative matters and passion for empowering the poor and downtrodden were also noteworthy.”
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