Malawi’s Vice President, Saulos Chilima has died in a plane crash along with nine other passengers in the Chikangawa mountain range, a mountainous region in the north of the country.
President Lazarus Chakwera announced on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, that the plane went missing after failing to land at Mzuzu International Airport, about 380 km north of the capital, Lilongwe.
He said that the plane that went missing Monday morning had been located after a search of more than 24 hours in thick forests and hilly terrain near the city of Mzuzu.
The president said the wreckage was found near a hill and the plane had been “completely destroyed,” with everyone killed on impact.
“The search and rescue operation I ordered to find the missing plane that carried our vice president and nine others has been completed.
“The plane has been found. And I am deeply saddened and sorry to inform you that it has turned out to be a terrible tragedy,” Chakwera said.
The wreckage was located near a hill in the Chikangawa Forest in northern Malawi, and Chakwera described it as “completely destroyed,” calling the incident heartbreaking.
Chakwera paid tribute to Chilima, describing him as “a good man, a devoted father and husband, (and) a patriotic citizen who served his country with distinction.”
“His passing is a terrible loss to his wife, Mary, his family, his friends, his colleagues in the cabinet and to all of us as a nation,” Chakwera said in his address from the Malawian capital.
President Chakwera mentioned that he had previously flown on the same aircraft, and despite its good track record and experienced crew, something went terribly wrong on this flight back to Lilongwe.
On Monday evening, air traffic control had advised the vice president’s plane not to land due to poor visibility and to return to the capital. Shortly after, contact with the plane was lost, prompting a search operation.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Malawi Defence Force deployed drones and 200 soldiers to search for the plane in the Chikangawa Forest reserve, where signals were last received. Bad weather had delayed the rescue efforts.
Chakwera said the vice president and the other victims would be laid to rest with dignity, and efforts are underway to transport their remains to the capital.
Chilima, 51, had recently returned to Malawi after attending the Korea-Africa Summit in Seoul. He served as vice president from 2014 to 2019 and again from 2020. Before his political career, he was the first Malawian head of Airtel Malawi.
President Chakwera called it an honor to have had Chilima as his deputy and counselor for the past four years. Saulos Chilima is survived by his wife, Mary, and two children.
KanyiDaily recalls that in 2022, Malawi Vice-President, Saulos Chilima was arrested for allegedly accepting money in exchange for awarding government contracts.
