New Delhi / Baramati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep grief over the untimely death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who was killed in a plane crash in Baramati on Wednesday morning.

Posting on X, PM Modi said, "Shri Ajit Pawar Ji was a leader of the people, having a strong grassroots level connect. He was widely respected as a hardworking personality at the forefront of serving the people of Maharashtra. His understanding of administrative matters and passion for empowering the poor and downtrodden were also noteworthy. His untimely demise is very shocking and saddening. Condolences to his family and countless admirers. Om Shanti."

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According to Flight Radar, the flight took off from Mumbai at 8.10 am and it disappeared from radar around 8.45 am.

Pawar was travelling to Baramati from Mumbai to address public meetings as part of the campaign for the February 5 zilla parishad elections in the state.

There were five people on board when the aircraft crashed at 8.50 am, a police official said.

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Superintendent of Police, Sandip Singh Gill, said that after the crash, there was a fire. "People onboard were immediately taken to the hospital," he said.

A source told PTI that the aircraft pilot had mentioned poor visibility near the runway before the aircraft attempted the landing.

The Learjet 45 (LJ45), a mid-size business jet aircraft produced by the Learjet Division of Bombardier Aerospace, went off the runway while attempting to land at Baramati airport and burst into flames, the source said.

Pawar is survived by wife Sunetra, a member of the Rajya Sabha and two sons, Parth and Jay.