The body of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was identified through a wristwatch he wore following an aircraft crash on Wednesday morning, January 28. According to Maharashtra Police Source, the watch became his final proof of identity.
Visibility at Baramati airport was low, and lacking a night-landing facility, the jet carrying Ajit Pawar crashed while attempting to land in dense fog with around 800 meters of visibility. The bodies were unrecognisable after the crash and Pawar was later identified by his watch.
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Videos from the crash site show clouds of smoke and intense fire that engulfed the aircraft. The aircraft was fully destroyed due to a blast after crashing, followed by fire, which makes it difficult to identify the bodies, which were charred. Ajit Pawar’s identity was later confirmed through personal belongings.
The Deputy Chief Minister had departed from Mumbai earlier today for a planned visit to his political stronghold of Baramati. The flight was operated by VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd using a Learjet 45, registered as VT-SSK.
According to flight data, the aircraft was on its final approach when it lost altitude and crash-landed in an open area near the perimeter of the Baramati airstrip. Local emergency services reached the wreckage within minutes, but officials reported that the impact was non-survivable.