Malawi’s Vice President, Saulos Chilima, and nine others have tragically perished in a plane crash, President Lazarus Chakwera confirmed. The military aircraft, carrying Chilima, disappeared from radar on Monday morning during a flight within Malawi amid poor weather conditions.
Search efforts by soldiers in the Chikangawa Forest continued through the night and into the morning. On Tuesday, President Chakwera announced that the Malawi Defence Force had located the wreckage, with no survivors found. “I am deeply saddened and sorry to inform Malawians of this terrible tragedy,” Chakwera stated, noting the aircraft was completely destroyed.
Among the deceased was former First Lady Shanil Dzimbiri. The ill-fated flight had taken off from the capital, Lilongwe, and was scheduled to land in Mzuzu but was turned back due to poor visibility.
Saulos Chilima had served as Malawi’s vice president since 2014. His death marks a significant loss for the nation.
In response, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu expressed his condolences to President Chakwera and the people of Malawi. A statement from presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale conveyed Tinubu’s sympathies, assuring Malawi of Nigeria’s support during this time of mourning and extending heartfelt commiserations to the families of the victims.
