Malawi’s vice president, Saulos Chilima, has died in a plane crash along with nine others.
In a televised briefing on Tuesday morning, Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera announced the death, saying, “Unfortunately, all on board have perished in the crash.”
On Monday, the military aircraft departed from Lilongwe, the capital, carrying Mr Chilima and other passengers to attend the country’s former attorney general’s funeral, when it suddenly “went off the radar,” the Malawian Defence Force said.
Malawi’s Office of the President and Cabinet said on Monday that, “All efforts by aviation authorities to make contact with the Aircraft since it went off the radar have failed thus far.”
In a televised national address on Monday night, President Chakwera assured the nation that the search and rescue operation would persist until Chilima’s plane was found.
“I know this is a heart breaking situation,” he said, “and we are all frightened and concerned.”
Several countries, including the United States, contributed technological assistance to the search operation.
In a social media statement posted Tuesday morning, the U.S. Embassy in Lilongwe announced it was “deeply concerned by the news of the crash” and proposed an offer of “all available assistance including a Defense C-12 aircraft.”
The aircraft was found destroyed in a mountainous part of the Chikangawa Forest, President Lazarus Chakwera said on Tuesday.
“I’m deeply saddened, I’m sorry to inform you all that it has turned out to be a terrible tragedy,” he said.
“The search and rescue team has found the aircraft near a hill… they have found it completely destroyed with no survivors.”
He said air traffic officials reported that poor visibility prevented the plane from landing at Mzuzu airport, north of the capital. The pilot was advised to return to Lilongwe, but the flight disappeared during the attempt.
The passengers included former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri, the ex-wife of former president Bakili Muluzi.
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Mr Chilima, 51, had emerged as a potential candidate for the presidential election next year.
He formerly led Airtel Malawi. Prior to venturing into telecommunications, he held senior sales and marketing roles in the banking sector and fast-moving consumer goods sector, including positions at the Leasing and Finance Company, Unilever Malawi, Coca-Cola, and Carlsberg.
Mr Chilima was married with two children.
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