Plane crashes in India, killing Maharashtra deputy chief minister and 4 others
The VSR Ventures-operated Learjet 45 aircraft went down in flames, leaving no survivors
Ajit Pawar, the deputy chief minister of India’s wealthiest state, Maharashtra, died in a plane crash on Wednesday when his charter aircraft went down in flames, killing him and four othrs on board, the aviation regulator has said.
Pawar, who hailed from a top political family, was en route to his home region to canvass in local elections, media said.
Two of his staff and two crew were also aboard the VSR Ventures-operated Learjet 45 aircraft, the directorate general of civil aviation said.
“No person on board has survived,” it added in an initial statement.
V.K. Singh, the director of VSR Ventures, told broadcaster India Today that the plane crashed during its approach to the city of Baramati, but the cause was not clear.
“The aircraft is 100 per cent safe,” he said. “The crew was fairly experienced.”