New Delhi: Malawi is mourning the loss of its Vice President, Saulos Chilima, and nine others following a devastating plane crash. President Lazarus Chakwera announced the tragic news on Tuesday, confirming that there were no survivors. The military plane carrying the Vice President and 9 others crashed in a mountainous region in the north of the country after a day-long search for the wreckage.The search for the missing plane involved hundreds of soldiers, police officers, and forest rangers. The aircraft disappeared on Monday morning during a short 45-minute flight from Malawis capital, Lilongwe, to Mzuzu, a city about 370 kilometers (230 miles) to the north. The wreckage was eventually found in a remote forest in the Viphya Mountains.President Chakwera stated that air traffic controllers had warned the plane not to land at Mzuzus airport due to bad weather and poor visibility. They instructed the pilot to return to Lilongwe, but contact with the plane was lost shortly afterward. The aircraft, a Dornier 228-type twin propeller plane operated by the Malawian armed forces, had seven passengers and three military crew members on board.#BREAKING: Plane carrying Malawis vice president found after day-long search No one on the plane survived. pic.twitter.com/vrnT0WWe5e— War Intel (@warintel4u) June 11, 2024Search and rescue operationThe search operation for the missing plane was extensive, with around 600 personnel combing through the vast forest plantation in the Viphya Mountains. The rugged terrain and dense forest made the search difficult, but the wreckage was eventually discovered. Vice Presidents legacySaulos Chilima was serving his second term as Vice President, having previously held the position from 2014 to 2019 under former President Peter Mutharika. Chilima was a prominent figure in Malawian politics and a candidate in the 2019 presidential election, finishing third. The 2019 election results were annulled by Malawis Constitutional Court due to irregularities, leading to a historic election rerun in 2020, where Chakwera was elected president with Chilima as his running mate.Unfortunate end to controversial chapterIn recent months, Chilima has been facing corruption charges related to allegations of receiving money in exchange for influencing government contracts for the armed forces and police. He denied these allegations, and the charges were dropped last month. Despite his legal troubles, Chilima remained an important political figure in Malawi, and his death has left the nation in shock and mourning.
