Baramati, Maharashtra: Emotional and chaotic scenes unfolded in Baramati on Wednesday morning after a chartered aircraft carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar crashed while attempting to land, killing all six persons on board.

Heart-wrenching visuals from the site showed aircraft wreckage scattered across the area, with flames and thick smoke billowing into the sky.

Officials said the privately operated chartered plane was carrying Ajit Pawar (66), two personal staff members, and two crew members when it went down in Pune district’s Baramati region.

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An eyewitness at the spot recounted the terrifying moments leading up to the crash. He said, "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 rushed here and saw that the aircraft was on fire."

Describing the horror that followed, the eyewitness added, "There were 4-5 explosions in the aircraft again. More people came here, and they tried to pull the people out (of the aircraft). But since this was a huge fire, people could not help. Ajit Pawar was onboard and this is really painful for us. I can't describe it in words..."

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Rescue teams and emergency services were rushed to the spot, while authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has stated that, as per initial information, no one on board survived the crash. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have contacted Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to receive updates on the tragedy. Maharashtra Minister Dattatray Vithoba Bharne was seen in tears at the crash site as news of Ajit Pawar’s death was confirmed.