How Ajit Pawar Was Identified Following Fatal Learjet Plane Crash in Baramati - Video

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was identified at the site of the plane crash in Pune district through his wristwatch, eyewitnesses said on Wednesday, after the chartered aircraft burst into

flames near the Baramati airport.Villagers who rushed to the scene said the wreckage of the Learjet was scattered across the area, about 200 meters from the edge of the tabletop runway, and the bodies were badly charred. According to eyewitness accounts, Pawar was identified by the wristwatch he was wearing.A video circulating on social media shows a person pointing to a wristwatch on a charred body and claiming it belonged to Pawar. The watch holds symbolic significance, as a clock is the election symbol of the Nationalist Congress Party, which Pawar led.

The aircraft, a 16-year-old Learjet operated by VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd, crashed while attempting a second landing approach at the Baramati airport, an uncontrolled airfield where flight information is generally shared by pilots and instructors from local flying schools.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR78L8MsR7w

Pawar had departed from Mumbai on Wednesday morning to campaign in Pune district ahead of the February 5 Zilla Parishad elections. Also killed in the crash were the pilot, Captain Sumit Kapoor, who had logged about 15,000 flying hours; co-pilot Captain Shambhavi Pathak, with around 1,500 hours of experience; Pawar’s personal security officer Vidip Jadhav; and flight attendant Pinky Mali. More eyewitness accounts Terrifying eyewitness accounts have emerged from the site of the aircraft crash near the Baramati airport, with local residents describing moments of chaos as the plane appeared to lose control before exploding on impact.One eyewitness said the aircraft was seen circling the airport and looked “a bit unstable” during its final approach. “It hit the ground hard and exploded,” she said, adding that the blast was so loud it was heard inside nearby homes.Another resident said the plane appeared to tilt sharply moments before crashing. “The way it was coming down, we felt it was going to crash,” the eyewitness said. “We saw flames, followed by four to five consecutive explosions. No one could go anywhere near the aircraft.”Several villagers who rushed to the spot said the force of the blast was immense, with parts of the aircraft thrown into the air and landing close to residential buildings. “It was frightening. We saw the explosion with our own eyes,” one of them said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onMONR2q1UM

An eyewitness standing close to the runway said the aircraft seemed to lose control at a very low altitude. “It was barely about 100 feet above the ground when it started coming down,” the person said.Pramod Madurikar, who witnessed the crash, said emergency responders arrived quickly and the victims were identified and moved to ambulances soon after the explosion.(With inputs from agencies)