The wreckage of a plane carrying Malawi’s Vice-President, Saulos Chilima, has been located with no survivors, President Lazarus Chakwera announced.
Chilima and nine others were on a domestic flight when their aircraft vanished from radar on Monday morning. The military plane was navigating through poor weather conditions at the time.
Rescue efforts by soldiers had been ongoing in the Chikangawa Forest overnight and into the next day.
In a Tuesday briefing, President Chakwera stated that the Malawi Defence Force commander confirmed the conclusion of the search operation, revealing the plane was found completely destroyed.
Chakwera expressed his sorrow, saying, “I am deeply saddened and sorry to inform Malawians of the terrible tragedy.”
Chakwera praised Dr. Chilima, describing him as “a good man,” “devoted father,” and “formidable VP,” adding, “I consider it one of the great honours of my life to have had him as a deputy and as a counsellor.”
Chilima, 51, was en route to represent the government at the funeral of former minister Ralph Kasambara.
The flight, which included former First Lady Shanil Dzimbiri, departed from Lilongwe and was supposed to land in Mzuzu but was redirected due to poor visibility.
The military is now transporting the remains of Chilima and the other victims back to Lilongwe, with funeral arrangements to be announced soon.
Dr. Chilima had served as vice-president since 2014 and was particularly popular among Malawi’s youth. In 2022, he faced charges of accepting bribes for government contracts, which he denied.
The charges were dropped last month without explanation. He is survived by his wife, Mary, and their two children, Sean and Elizabeth.
Source-BBC
