Indian leader Ajit Pawar, the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, died in a plane crash on Wednesday, along with four other people on board.
Videos from the crash site show smoke billowing from the burning wreckage of the chartered aircraft, which is scattered across an open field.
The plane was flying towards the runway when it suddenly fell 100 feet prior to its approach, an eyewitness told news channel NDTV.
"When the aircraft descended, it seemed it would crash—and it did. It then exploded and burst into a massive fire. Four or five further explosions followed," the eyewitness said.
The eyewitness added that locals rushed to the spot upon seeing the plane crash and erupt into flames. "People came and tried to pull passengers from the aircraft. Due to the intense fire, they were unable to help," he said.
Pawar, who hailed from a prominent political family, was en route to his home region to canvass in local body elections, media reported.
Two of his staff and two crew members were also aboard the VSR Ventures-operated Learjet 45 aircraft, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation confirmed.
"No person on board has survived," they added in an initial statement.
VK Singh, the director of VSR Ventures, told news channel India Today that the plane crashed during its approach to the city of Baramati, but the cause remained unclear.
"The aircraft was 100% safe," he said. "The crew were fairly experienced."
&uuid=(email))