Search and rescue operations are underway for a military aircraft carrying Malawi’s Vice President, Saulos Klaus Chilima, which went missing on Monday morning. President Lazarus Chakwera has vowed that the search will continue relentlessly until the aircraft and its passengers are located.
The aircraft, which departed Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, at 09:17 a.m. (0717 GMT), had been carrying Chilima and nine other individuals. It was scheduled to land at Mzuzu Airport at 10:02 a.m. However, due to poor visibility, the aircraft was unable to land and was instructed to return to the capital. Since then, all efforts by aviation authorities to establish contact with the aircraft have been unsuccessful.
In a televised address to the nation, President Chakwera expressed his hope for finding survivors and detailed the ongoing search efforts. “I’m holding on to every fibre of hope that we’ll find survivors,” he stated, highlighting the search’s concentration within a 10 km (6-mile) radius in a forest reserve.
“I have given strict orders that the operation should continue until the plane is found,” Chakwera affirmed. He also mentioned that Malawi has sought assistance from neighboring countries, as well as the United States, Britain, Norway, and Israel, to bolster the rescue efforts.
Chilima, who is 51 years old, is seen as a potential candidate in the upcoming presidential election next year. His political journey has been marked by recent legal battles; he was arrested in 2022 on graft allegations. However, last month, a Malawi court dropped the corruption charges against him after the director of public prosecutions filed a notice to discontinue the case. Chilima has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
As the nation holds its breath, the search operation continues to be a top priority. The fate of Vice President Chilima and the others aboard the missing aircraft remains uncertain, and the nation waits anxiously for any news.
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