Malawi's vice president perishes in aviation mishap.
A plane carrying Malawi's vice president, Saulos Chilima, was reported missing on Monday after failing to land in the city of Mzuzu due to bad weather. It was headed back to the capital, Lilongwe, but never arrived.
President Lazarus Chakwera ordered an extensive search for the missing aircraft, which took place in a foggy forest area south of Mzuzu. On Tuesday, the wreckage of the Dornier 228-202K was discovered on a hilly, tree-covered area. This prompted Chakwera to cancel a scheduled trip to the Bahamas.
The government of Malawi received help from neighboring countries to conduct the search operation, with their helicopters and drones proving to be invaluable. Chilima had been on his way to Mzuzu, around 370 kilometers from Lilongwe, for a funeral of a former government official. Along with him was the ex-first lady, Shanil Dzimbiri.
Chilima, aged 51, became the vice president of Malawi in 2014 and gained a lot of popularity, especially among the youth, in his country. However, in 2022, during his second term, he faced charges of corruption and lost his position. Early this year, the charges against him were dismissed by the court, allowing him to return to his previous role.
