The navy aircraft sporting Vice President Saulos Chilima became observed in a remote mountainous location inside the north after a extended seek exceeding a day. Sadly, President Chakwera stated in a televised declaration that there have been no survivors.
The aircraft, which also carried a former first lady, went lacking on Monday morning for the duration of a 45-minute flight from the capital, Lilongwe, to Mzuzu, about 370 kilometers (230 miles) to the north. The search efforts concerned hundreds of infantrymen, law enforcement officials, and woodland rangers.
Air traffic controllers had recommended the aircraft against landing at Mzuzu’s airport due to adverse weather situations and limited visibility, advising it to go back to Lilongwe. Communication with the plane turned into lost soon after, and it vanished from radar.
The aircraft changed into recognized as a small, propeller-driven Dornier 228, which had been introduced to the Malawian defense force in 1988. Onboard have been seven passengers and three military team contributors.
Around six hundred personnel have been engaged within the seek operation inside the Viphya Mountains close to Mzuzu, as said by means of officers.
Vice President Chilima changed into in his second term, having formerly served from 2014 to 2019 below former President Peter Mutharika. He ran for president in 2019, completing 1/3 behind Mr. Mutharika and Mr. Chakwera. The election outcomes had been later annulled through Malawi’s Constitutional Court because of irregularities.
Chilima subsequently partnered with Mr. Chakwera as his jogging mate in a historic 2020 election rerun, which caused Mr. Chakwera’s presidency. This marked the first instance in Africa in which a court docket-overturned election resulted in the defeat of an incumbent president.
Recently, Chilima faced corruption allegations, accused of accepting cash in change for influencing authorities procurement contracts for the Malawi militia and police. However, these charges have been dropped remaining month. Chilima had denied the allegations, which had incited criticism of President Chakwera’s management for not taking a much better stance in opposition to corruption.
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