Malawi’s Vice-President, Saulos Chilima, and nine others have been confirmed dead following a plane crash. The aircraft, a Dornier 228, disappeared on Monday morning amidst adverse weather conditions.
The search and rescue operation, involving various local and international teams, continued until the wreckage was discovered on Tuesday morning. The incident has led to national mourning, with condolences pouring in from various quarters.
The Malawi Defence Force aircraft “went off the radar” shortly after departing from the capital, Lilongwe, on Monday morning. The plane was scheduled to land at Mzuzu International Airport in the country’s north just after 10:00 local time (09:00 BST).
In a speech to the country, Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera reveals the death of Vice President Saulos Chilima and nine others in a plane crash. He claims that the 10 were “k!lled on impact” after their 34-year-old military plane crashed on a hill in the Chikangawa forest in severe weather.
The former Somali Ambassador to Kenya took to his X confirming the death.
