Malawi’s Vice President, along with his Wife, and Nine Others Died in a Propeller Plane Acquired in 1988.

Malawi’s Vice President, along with his Wife, and Nine Others Died in a Propeller Plane Acquired in 1988.

Bringing you the latest news from the Malawi news media. It has been reported that Malawi’s Vice President Dr. Saulos Chilima and nine others, including his wife, tragically lost their lives in a plane crash in the Chikangawa mountain range, as announced by the government on Tuesday.

President Lazarus Chakwera declared a National Day of Mourning in honor of the victims.

The Office of the President and Cabinet confirmed the devastating news in a statement on Tuesday morning, following an extensive search effort in the forested area of northern Malawi.

The military plane crashed on Monday morning after departing from Lilongwe, the country’s capital. Chilima, aged 51, and the other passengers were en route to attend the funeral of the former attorney general when the aircraft disappeared from radar.

Air traffic officials reported that poor visibility prevented the plane from landing at Mzuzu airport, leading the pilot to attempt a return to Lilongwe before the tragic incident occurred.

During his address to the nation on Tuesday, President Chakwera revealed that Chilima, his wife, seven military officers, and another passenger were aboard a small military aircraft, identified as a Dornier 228-type twin propeller plane acquired by the Malawian army in 1988.

Chakwera provided the aircraft’s tail number, which was cross-referenced by the Associated Press with data from the ch-aviation website. Chilima, who was considered a potential candidate for the upcoming presidential election, had faced controversy in the past.

In 2022, he was arrested on corruption charges, accused of receiving kickbacks from a businessman in exchange for government contracts. Despite consistently denying the allegations, the case was abruptly dropped by the national prosecutor last month.

During a televised address on Monday evening, Chawera informed the entire nation that the search and rescue mission would persist until Chilima’s aircraft was located.

Acknowledging the distressing circumstances, he expressed, “I understand the immense sorrow this situation brings, and we are all filled with fear and worry.

” Numerous countries, including the United States, extended their technological support to aid in the search operation.

In a social media statement released on Tuesday morning, the U.S. Embassy in Lilongwe expressed their profound concern regarding the crash and offered their full assistance, including the deployment of a Defense C-12 aircraft.