Malawi’s Vice President Saulos Chilima and nine others were tragically killed in a plane crash, President Lazarus Chakwera confirmed on Tuesday. The military aircraft carrying Chilima, 51, disappeared on Monday after it failed to land in the northern city of Mzuzu due to bad weather and was instructed to return to the capital, Lilongwe. The wreckage was discovered in a mountainous area in the north of the country after an exhaustive search lasting over a day. There were no survivors, news agency AFP reported. Malawi President Chakwera made the confirmation during a live address on state television.
Chakwera made the solemn announcement during a live address on state television, expressing the nation’s grief. “Words cannot describe how heartbreaking this is,” he said, describing the accident as a “terrible tragedy”, as quoted by AFP.
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Malawi Vice President’s Plane Went Missing
The BBC had earlier reported that the aircraft, which was carrying Vice President Chilima and nine others, had gone missing. The plane reportedly “went off the radar” after departing from Lilongwe on Monday morning. It was scheduled to land at Mzuzu International Airport, located in the north, shortly after 10:00 local time (09:00 BST).
According to AFP, the search and rescue team found the aircraft “completely destroyed with no survivors, as all passengers on board were killed on impact.” Photographs shared with AFP by a member of the military rescue team showed army personnel standing on a foggy slope near debris bearing the registration number of the Malawi Army Air Wing Dornier 228-202K aircraft. Rescuers had been combing a fog-cloaked forest south of Mzuzu on Tuesday after authorities located the last tower it transmitted to before the plane disappeared.
Earlier, army commander General Paul Valentino Phiri mentioned that neighbouring countries had been aiding the search effort, providing helicopters and drones. The group departed just after 9:00 am (0700 GMT) from Lilongwe on Monday to attend the funeral of former cabinet minister Ralph Kasambara, who had passed away three days prior. Malawi’s former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri was also on board.
In a speech late on Monday, President Chakwera detailed the efforts of the search operation. “Soldiers are still on the ground carrying out the search and I have given strict orders that the operation should continue until the plane is found,” he stated, adding that it was a “heart-breaking situation.”
According to AFP, Chakwera also shared his personal connection to the ill-fated aircraft. “I had previously flown on the same aircraft for similar trips. The crew had successfully operated it just hours before the accident,” he said. “And yet, despite the track record of the aircraft and the experience of the crew, something terrible went wrong with that aircraft on its flight back to Lilongwe, sending it crashing down.”
Chilima, first elected in 2014, was a charismatic and widely loved figure in Malawi, particularly among young people. However, his career faced significant challenges. In 2022, during his second stint as vice president, he was arrested and charged with graft over a bribery scandal involving a British-Malawian businessman. The charges were dropped last month without explanation, and Chilima resumed his official duties.
“Chilima was a good man, a devoted father and husband, a patriotic citizen who served his country with distinction and a formidable vice president,” Chakwera said. “I consider it one of the greatest honours of my life to have had him as my deputy and counsellor for the past four years.”