Malawi's Vice President, Dr. Saulos Chilima, and nine other people, including his wife, were killed in a plane crash in the Chikangawa mountain range, the government said on Tuesday.
Details
President Lazarus Chakwara declared Tuesday a national day of mourning.
The announcement was made on Tuesday morning in a statement by the Office of the president and the Cabinet of ministers, which said that "unfortunately, everyone on board was killed in the crash", which occurred on Monday morning after a military plane took off from the capital Lilongwe.
Chilima and other passengers were on their way to the funeral of the former prosecutor general when their plane disappeared from radar. Air traffic officials said the plane was unable to land at Mzuzu airport, north of the capital, due to poor visibility, and the pilot was advised to return to Lilongwe when the plane disappeared.
Chilima, 51, was considered in Malawi as a possible candidate for next year's presidential election.
A somewhat controversial figure, he was arrested in 2022 on bribery charges amid reports that he received kickbacks from a businessman for government contracts. Chilima consistently denied the charges until last month, when they were dropped by the national prosecutor, who filed a notice to dismiss the case.
In a televised address on Monday evening, Severa told the nation that the search and rescue operation will continue until Chilima's plane is found.
"I know this situation is heartbreaking,"he said," and we're all scared and worried.
Several countries, including the United States, have provided technological support for the search operation.
In a statement released Tuesday morning on social media, the U.S. Embassy in Lilongwe said it was "deeply concerned about the news of the crash" and added an offer of "any available assistance, including a C-12 Department of defense aircraft.
Iranian Vice President confirms death of President Raisi in plane crash20.05.24, 07:44