Malawi’s Vice President, Saulos Chilima, has been confirmed dead following the crash of a military aircraft that went missing on Monday. The plane, carrying Chilima and nine others, including former First Lady Shanil Dzimbiri, failed to land as scheduled on Monday morning.
The group was en route to Mzuzu to attend the funeral of Ralph Kasambala, a prominent Malawian lawyer, former Attorney General, and Justice Minister. Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera, in a televised address on Tuesday, announced the tragic news, confirming there were no survivors when the plane crashed into a forest.
President Chakwera expressed his deep sorrow, saying, “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.” The US Embassy in Lilongwe has pledged to assist the Malawian government, including deploying a C-12 military aircraft to aid in the efforts.
Search operations have been hampered by persistent bad weather and foggy conditions, complicating visibility. The US Embassy joined President Chakwera in offering prayers for the well-being of all those on board the ill-fated flight.