Baramati plane crash: Family mourns flight attendant Pinky Mali

Pinky Mali, a flight attendant from Mumbai, died in the Baramati plane crash involving Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Her father has appealed for her body to perform last rites as investigation teams from AAIB and DGCA begin a probe

Mumbai: Pinky Mali, a flight attendant from Worli in Mumbai, lost her life in the plane crash at Baramati in which Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was also on board. Her grieving father, Shivkumar Mali, on Wednesday said his only wish was to receive his daughter’s body so that he could perform her last rites.

Speaking to IANS, Shivkumar Mali said he last spoke to his daughter a day before the tragic incident.

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“Yesterday, she called me and said, ‘Papa, I am going to Baramati with Ajit Pawar, and from there I will go to Nanded.’ That was all we discussed yesterday. For some time, she had been travelling continuously with Ajit Pawar on his recent trips,” he said.

Expressing his anguish, he added, “I have lost my daughter. I do not know what exactly happened, as I have no technical knowledge about such incidents. I am completely shattered.”

Overcome with grief, Shivkumar Mali said he was not seeking any explanations at the moment.

“I just want my daughter’s body so that I can perform her last rites with dignity. That is all I wish for,” he said.

Meanwhile, a team of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has departed from Delhi for Pune to investigate the deadly Baramati plane crash, in which Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others lost their lives.

The team will proceed to Baramati after landing in Pune to initiate the investigation into the crash.

Five people, including Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, died in the Baramati plane crash on Wednesday morning, according to flight details.

Apart from Deputy Chief Minister Pawar, those on board the Learjet 45 aircraft, registration VT-SSK, operated by VSR, included a personal security officer (PSO) Vidip Jadhav, a flight attendant Pinky Mali, and two crew members, a Pilot-in-Command (PIC) Sumit Kapur and a Second-in-Command (SIC) Shambhavi Pathak.

Emergency services and senior security officials reached the site in Baramati soon after the crash. Rescue teams were deployed immediately after the aircraft lost control during the landing phase.

A team of DGCA officials has arrived at the plane crash site.

Additionally, according to sources, Ajit Pawar’s body was identified by the watch he was wearing at the time of his death.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Police on Wednesday said the Baramati plane crash, in which Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar lost his life, is being carefully investigated to determine the cause of the accident.

“The location and condition of the wreckage at the crash site will be thoroughly examined and photographed to determine the speed and angle of the aircraft’s impact,” police officials said.

They further said that the black box will be examined to determine the technical condition of the aircraft during the flight and whether it was airworthy.

“The cockpit voice recording will provide information about the pilots’ conversations and decisions in the final moments,” officials said, adding that all records related to maintenance of the aircraft will also be reviewed.

A team of DGCA officials has arrived at the plane crash site.