Malawi is in mourning after Vice President Saulos Chilima and nine others perished in a military plane crash. The tragic incident was confirmed by President Lazarus Chakwera on Tuesday after searchers located the wreckage in a fog-shrouded forest.
The aircraft, carrying Chilima, 51, disappeared on Monday after failing to land in Mzuzu due to inclement weather. The plane, en route from the capital Lilongwe, was instructed to return when it lost contact.
"The search and rescue team have found the aircraft ... completely destroyed with no survivors, as all passengers on board were killed on impact," President Chakwera announced, addressing the nation. He described the accident as a "terrible tragedy," adding, "Words cannot describe how heartbreaking this is."
Photographs from the military rescue team, shared with AFP, showed army personnel amidst debris in a foggy area, confirming the plane's registration as the Malawi Army Air Wing Dornier 228-202K.
Rescue teams had been scouring the foggy forest south of Mzuzu, guided by the last transmission from the plane. According to General Paul Valentino Phiri, Malawi's army commander, neighboring countries had provided assistance, deploying helicopters and drones to aid the search.
The ill-fated flight departed Lilongwe on Monday morning, carrying the delegation to a funeral in Mzuzu, some 370 kilometers away. Among the passengers was former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri.
President Chakwera shared a personal connection to the tragedy, having flown on the same aircraft previously. "The crew had successfully operated it just hours before the accident," he noted. "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."
First elected vice president in 2014, Saulos Chilima was a charismatic leader, particularly popular among Malawi's youth. Despite facing charges of graft in 2022, from which he was recently exonerated, Chilima remained a respected figure.
"Chilima was a good man, a devoted father and husband, a patriotic citizen who served his country with distinction and a formidable vice president," 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."
