The plane, with vice-president Saulos Chilima, six passengers, and three military crew members, disappeared from radar after departing from Lilongwe on Monday morning.
The president of Malawi has announced that the vice-president and nine other individuals lost their lives in a plane accident.
On Monday morning, the plane with vice-president Saulos Chilima, six other passengers, and three military crew members disappeared from the radar after departing from the capital, Lilongwe.
Numerous soldiers, police officers, and forest rangers embarked on a search mission for the aircraft after it vanished during its 45-minute journey from Lilongwe to Mzuzu.
Malawi's President Lazarus Chakwera announced on Tuesday that it was discovered ruined in a hilly area of the Chikangawa Forest.
He said, “I'm very upset, I regret to tell you that it has become a terrible tragedy.”
The aircraft was discovered by the search and rescue team close to a hill… they found it in ruins with no survivors.
Additionally, he mentioned that the plane was advised by air traffic controllers not to try landing at Mzuzu's airport due to unfavorable weather conditions and limited visibility.
After requesting the plane to return to Lilongwe, Chakwera mentioned that air traffic control was unable to communicate with the aircraft and it vanished from the radar.
The team, which consisted of former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri and the ex-wife of former president Bakili Muluzi, was on their way to the funeral of a former government minister.
Chilima was considered a possible candidate for the upcoming presidential election and was currently in his second term as vice president.
In 2022, he was taken into custody for accusations of accepting money in exchange for manipulating the distribution of government contracts for the Malawi armed forces and the police.
Last month, the charges against him were dropped by a Malawi court after the director of public prosecutions requested the case to be stopped. Chilima also stated that he did not commit any wrongdoing.
