Aircraft carrying Malawi vice-president goes missing
An aircraft carrying Malawi’s Vice-President Saulos Chilima and nine others has gone missing, according to a statement from the president’s office.
The Malawi Defence Force aircraft “went off the radar” after departing from the capital, Lilongwe, on Monday morning.
The plane was scheduled to land at Mzuzu International Airport in the country’s north shortly after 10:00 local time (09:00 BST).
In a speech late on Monday, President Lazarus Chakwera said search and rescue efforts were ongoing.
“Soldiers are still on the ground conducting the search, and I have issued strict orders for the operation to continue until the plane is located,” he stated, describing the situation as “heart-breaking.”
“I understand that we are all frightened and concerned—I share those concerns. But I assure you, no resource is being spared in the search, and I am holding onto hope that we will find survivors.”
Mr. Chakwera had earlier canceled his flight to the Bahamas, which was scheduled for Monday evening.
The cause of the aircraft’s disappearance is still unknown, General Valentino Phiri informed Mr. Chakwera. Malawi’s Information Minister, Moses Kunkuyu, told the BBC that the search efforts are “intensive.”
Mr. Chilima was en route to represent the government at the burial of former cabinet minister Ralph Kasambara, who passed away three days ago.
Mr Kunkuyu said: “The airport he was to land, which is in the northern part of Mzuzu, was the closest to where the funeral was taking place.”
In 2022, Dr Chilima was arrested and charged on allegations that he accepted money in exchange for awarding government contracts .
Last month, the court dropped the charges, giving no reasons for this decision.
