World News
Aircraft carrying Malawi Vice President goes missing
An aircraft carrying Malawi’s Vice President Saulos Chilima and nine others has disappeared after it failed to land on the morning of Monday, June 10, 2024.
According to a statement from the Malawi Presidency, the Malawi Defense Force Aircraft left Lilongwe on 9:17hrs of Monday, June 10, 2024 carrying the Vice President and nine others failed to make its scheduled landing at Mzuzu International Airport at 10:02.
The statement further made known that President Chakwera has initiated a search and rescue operation following unsuccessful attempts to reach the aircraft.
“The public will be updated of any developments on the situation as facts are established,” the president’s office said.
The reason for the aircraft’s disappearance is not yet known, General Valentino Phiri told Mr Chakwera. Moses Kunkuyu, Malawi’s information minister, told the BBC efforts to find the aircraft are “intensive”.
Mr Chilima was on his way to represent the government at the burial of former cabinet minister Ralph Kasambara, who died three days ago.
Prior to his political career, he held key leadership roles in multinational companies like Unilever and Coca Cola.
Mr Chilima, aged 51, has been vice-president of the southern African country since 2014.