Malawi VP’s plane goes missing during flight; search operations underway.
The president’s office stated that an aircraft carrying Malawi’s Vice President Saulos Chilima and nine others had lost contact after taking off from the capital, Lilongwe. The Malawi Defence Force plane piloted for Mzuzu in the northern region went off the radar at around 10:00 local time. President Lazarus Chakwera informed search and rescue efforts are being coordinated.
Chakwera addressed the nation, hoping to find survivors while terming it a “heart-breaking situation.” All resources have been deployed for locating the aircraft, he affirmed.
The development resulted in Chakwera canceling his overseas trip. Reasons for the plane’s disappearance remain unclear as per Defence Force head Gen Valentino Phiri’s briefing to the president.
Information Minister Moses Kunkuyu shared that the search is intensive. Chilima was en route to represent the government at former minister Ralph Kasambara’s funeral in Mzuzu.
At 51, Chilima holds a PhD and has multifaceted experience across private sector roles. Charges of corruption leveled against him last year were withdrawn.
The unfolding scenario has caused massive concerns as authorities and citizens await any breakthrough in the search for the missing plane.
