Six Dead in Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s Plane Crash

WEB DESK: A plane carrying Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has crashed in India, resulting in at least six deaths, including Pawar. Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, with details regarding the number of passengers and the condition of others on board yet to be released.

In a separate incident, an Indian HAL Tejas fighter jet crashed during a demonstration flight at Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai, killing the pilot. Thick black smoke rose from the site as emergency sirens echoed across the airfield. The Air Force confirmed the crash and has formed a court of inquiry to investigate the cause.

The HAL Tejas is India’s indigenous 4.5-generation fighter aircraft, developed under the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme by DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Agency and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. It entered service in the Indian Air Force in 2016 with its FOC variant inducted in 2020.

Following the crash, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited saw its share price fall by over 2.5 percent, reflecting market concerns about the accident.

On June 12, 2025, a London-bound Air India flight (Flight AI 171) crashed near Ahmedabad Airport in a densely populated area, killing over 290 people and leaving only one confirmed survivor. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner had 230 passengers and 12 crew members on board when it went down less than a minute after takeoff. The aircraft crashed into a residential and hospital area, causing additional casualties on the ground, including hospital staff. Among the passengers were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, one Canadian, seven Portuguese, and 11 children.