Daijiworld Media Network - Baramati

Baramati, Feb 1: Four days after the fatal plane crash that claimed the lives of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and five others, authorities on Sunday began clearing the accident site in Baramati, collecting debris and shifting the burnt remains of the aircraft for detailed investigation.

The operation commenced after multiple agencies completed their preliminary enquiries into the crash, which occurred while the aircraft was attempting to land.

Officials from aviation authorities, along with ground workers, used a crane on Sunday morning to lift the charred portion of the aircraft and load it onto a container for transportation. Areas where burnt fragments had fallen were marked with white paint to document the debris spread. Damaged components are being packed into wooden boxes and will be sent to forensic and technical laboratories for further examination.

“The burnt sections have been carefully collected and secured for investigation,” an official involved in the operation said.

The aircraft had crashed around 9.45 am on the 28th, killing Ajit Pawar and five others on board. The plane was completely gutted in the fire that followed, leaving behind severely damaged remains at the site.

Investigators are expected to analyse the recovered parts to determine the exact cause of the accident, including possible technical or operational failures.

Officials said the clearance was also prompted by crowd control concerns, as large numbers of people had been gathering at the site over the past few days to view the wreckage. “Clearing the site was necessary to maintain order and prevent any untoward incident,” a local official said.

Further details are expected once technical reports are received, with the investigation into the tragic crash still underway.