Malawi mourns vice-president and 9 others killed in plane crash

Malawi’s Vice-President, Saulos Chilima, and nine others were killed when a small military plane crashed in a northern mountainous region, the country’s president said in a live televised address on Tuesday.
The wreckage of the plane was found after a search that lasted more than 24 hours since it disappeared on Monday (10 June) but there were no survivors, Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera said. “The plane has been found and I am deeply saddened and sorry to inform you all, it has turned out to be a terrible tragedy,” Chakwera said.

On Monday, air traffic controllers lost contact with the military plane, which carried the country’s 51-year-old vice-president, former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri and eight others, after telling the pilot not to land in the northern city of Mzuzu due to bad weather and to turn back to the capital, Lilongwe.

“The search and rescue team has found the aircraft near a hill. They have found it completely destroyed with no survivors,” Chakwera said. The president went on to praise Chilima, describing him as “a patriotic citizen who served his country with distinction, and a formidable vice-president.” “It had been an honor to work with him and his passing is a terrible loss to his family and the country,” the President said.

Chilima was serving his second term as vice-president and was widely seen as a potential candidate in next year’s presidential election. Chakwera said funeral arrangements would be announced in due course.