Rescue teams in Malawi have located the wreckage of a military plane carrying Vice President Saulos Chilima, confirming that there were no survivors. The aircraft was found on Tuesday in a mountainous area in the north of the country, a day after it went missing amidst adverse weather conditions.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!President Lazarus Chakwera announced in a televised address that none of the 10 individuals aboard the plane, including the 51-year-old Chilima, survived after it crashed into a forest. The passengers included seven civilians, including a former first lady, and three military crew members.
The flight departed from the capital, Lilongwe, on Monday but failed to arrive at Mzuzu International Airport, approximately 370km (230 miles) to the north, as scheduled, 45 minutes later.
President Chakwera expressed deep sorrow, stating, “I’m deeply saddened. I’m sorry to inform you all that it has turned out to be a terrible tragedy. The search and rescue team has found the aircraft near a hill … they have found it completely destroyed with no survivors.”
Chilima, in his second term as vice president, had switched his support from President Chakwera’s rival to join forces for the 2020 election. He was viewed as a potential candidate in the upcoming presidential election despite facing legal issues in 2022 related to bribery allegations tied to police and armed forces supply contracts. The charges were dropped last month after a court discontinued the case, with Chilima maintaining his innocence. Critics have questioned the government’s commitment to anti-corruption efforts in light of this development.
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