Malawian Vice President Saulos Chilima and nine others died when their small military plane crashed in bad weather in a mountainous area in the north, President Lazarus Chakwera announced on Tuesday. Chilima, 51, was among those killed.
Chakwera revealed on state television that the wreckage was discovered after more than a day of searching in dense forests and rugged terrain near Mzuzu. He said the plane was found near a hill and had been “completely destroyed,” with no survivors.
Chakwera expressed his deep sorrow over the tragedy, emphasizing the pain and loss felt by everyone. He praised Chilima as a dedicated man, father, husband, and vice president who served his country with distinction. The president asked for a moment of silence during his address.
Among the deceased was former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri. The plane carried seven passengers and three military crew members, traveling to Mzuzu for a former minister’s funeral. Chilima had just returned from South Korea on Sunday.
The search involved hundreds of soldiers, police officers, and forest rangers after the plane went missing Monday morning during its flight from Lilongwe to Mzuzu. Air traffic controllers had advised the plane to return due to bad weather, but it lost contact and disappeared from radar.
The aircraft, a Dornier 228-type twin propeller plane, was part of the Malawian armed forces since 1988. Around 600 personnel were involved in the search.
Chilima, serving his second term as vice president, previously ran for president in 2019 and later joined Chakwera’s campaign, resulting in a historic election rerun in 2020. Recently, Chilima faced and was cleared of corruption charges, leading to criticism of the administration’s handling of graft.
The search lasted over 24 hours with international assistance, including offers from the U.S., U.K., Norway, and Israel. However, Chilima’s political party criticized the government response as slow and raised concerns about the plane lacking a transponder.
