Malawi's Vice President Chilima perishes in airplane accident.
Malawi's Vice President, Saulos Chilima, has sadly perished in a plane crash, taking the lives of nine others alongside him. The incident occurred during a government flight that vanished from radar unexpectedly. Emergency services managed to locate the plane in a foggy forest area.
President Lazarus Chakwera confirmed in a televised address that Chilima and the other nine individuals on board had passed away. He expressed his grief over this tragic event, which consisted of a military plane carrying no survivors. The lost aircraft had been attempting landings in Mzuzu city on Monday due to poor visibility, but eventually returned to Lilongwe, the capital. However, communication with the pilots ended, and the plane mysteriously vanished from radar. The root cause of the crash remains uncertain. President Chakwera, who had just flown on the ill-fated plane himself, shared his concern, saying "Something terrible happened with this plane."
President Chakwera had ordered a search mission after the plane's disappearance, prompting rescue teams to comb a foggy wooded area south of Mzuzu. On Tuesday, the remains of the Dornier 228-202K aircraft were discovered on the side of a sloping terrain. In response to the accident, Chakwera canceled a scheduled trip to the Bahamas.
A neighboring country aided the efforts by providing helicopters and drones to assist in the search. Chilima had intended to attend the funeral of a former Malawian government member in Mzuzu, approximately 370 km south of Lilongwe. Tragically, the aircraft also carried Shanil Dzimbiri, the country's former First Lady.
Chilima was first elected Vice President of Malawi in 2014. Known for his charisma, he was a highly popular politician, particularly among the young generation in the country. His political career faced a setback in 2022 when he was dismissed from office due to corruption allegations and subsequently detained. However, these charges were later dropped, and he resumed his Vice Presidential duties. He had been gearing up to vie for a shot at the presidency in the future, with elections planned for September 2025.
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The plane crash that claimed the life of Malawi's Vice President Saulos Chilima and nine others happened during a government flight that was trying to land in Mzuzu city due to poor visibility. Malawi and a neighboring country collaborated in the search efforts for the missing plane, which was eventually found in a forest area south of Mzuzu.
