Malawi’s Vice President Saulos Chilima, along with nine other passengers, tragically lost their lives in a plane crash. Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera announced the news on Tuesday, per CBS News. Chilima was 51 years old.
The aircraft vanished after missing its scheduled landing at Mzuzu International Airport, approximately 240 miles north of the capital, Lilongwe. On Tuesday, Chakwera announced that the wreckage had been found.
“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 explained.
Vice President Chilima and his fellow passengers were en route to the funeral of the former attorney general when their plane vanished from radar. Air traffic officials reported the aircraft couldn’t land at Mzuzu Airport, about 200 miles north of the capital, due to poor visibility. The pilot was instructed to return to Lilongwe, but the flight disappeared during the return.
The Malawi Vice President, His Wife and Seven Military Officers Died in the Tragic Plane Crash
In his Tuesday address to the nation, Chakwera disclosed that Chilima, his wife, seven military officers, and another passenger were aboard a small military aircraft. The plane, identified as a Dornier 228 twin-propeller model, was delivered to the Malawian army in 1988.
Chilima, considered a potential candidate for Malawi’s next presidential election, was arrested in 2022 on graft charges. This was for allegedly accepting kickbacks from a businessman for government contracts. Chilima consistently denied the charges. Last month the national prosecutor dismissed the case and filed a notice for its discontinuation.
Before entering politics, Chilima held prominent leadership roles in several multinational companies, including Unilever and Coca-Cola. At Airtel Malawi, he advanced to the position of Chief Executive Officer.
In a televised address Monday night, Chawera reassured the nation that the search and rescue operation would continue until Chilima’s plane was found.
“I know this is a heartbreaking situation and we are all frightened and concerned,” Chawera told the nation.
Meanwhile, several countries, including the United States, contributed technological support to the search operation. U.S. Embassy in Lilongwe wrote on X that it was “deeply concerned by the news of the crash.” They also added an offer of “all available assistance including a Defense C-12 aircraft.”