India, Jan. 28 -- Maharashtra woke up to shock and disbelief after the sudden death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a tragic plane crash near Pune district and the incident has triggered widespread mourning across the state, disrupted public services and raised questions around holidays for banks, schools and government offices. Mumbai, the financial nerve centre of India, is directly affected as the state observes official mourning and temporary closures. According to civil aviation data, India has recorded fewer than five fatal charter aircraft accidents in the last decade, making this crash both rare and devastating.

Mumbai will observe disruptions in normal operations as the Maharashtra government has declared a state holiday ...