The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has officially confirmed that six people on board the aircraft, including Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, lost their lives when it crashed into a field and caught fire on Wednesday morning.

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The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief had taken off from Mumbai for Baramati on Wednesday morning in a private jet—reportedly a Bombardier Learjet 45. Between 9:00 and 9:15 am, the pilot lost control of the mid-sized jet while attempting to land at Baramati airport, TV9 Marathi said in a report. An alleged technical malfunction led to the plane crashing into a field instead of landing on the runway, causing the entire aircraft to go up in flames within seconds, the report added.

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Local media reports claimed that a total of six people, including Ajit Pawar, were inside the ill-fated jet. Among the deceased were his security personnel, his personal assistant, and the pilot.

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