Plane carrying Malawi vice president disappears

A plane carrying Malawi's vice president, Saulos Chilima, and nine others has disappeared, according to a statement from the president's office.

The Malawi Defense Force plane “disappeared from radar” after leaving the capital, Lilongwe, on Monday morning, he added.

The plane was due to land at Mzuzu International Airport in the north of the country shortly after 10:00 local time (09:00 BST).

In a speech Monday evening, President Lazarus Chakwera said a search and rescue operation was continuing.

“Soldiers are still on the ground carrying out the search and I have given strict orders for the operation to continue until the plane is found,” he said.

Mr Chakwera had previously canceled his flight to the Bahamas, which was scheduled for Monday evening.

The reason for the plane's disappearance is not yet known, General Valentino Phiri told Chakwera. Moses Kunkuyu, Malawi's information minister, told the BBC that efforts to find the plane were “intensive”.

Mr Chilima was on his way to represent the government at the funeral of former minister Ralph Kasambara, who died three days ago.

Mr Kunkuyu said: “The airport where he was supposed to land, which is in the northern part of Mzuzu, was the closest to where the funeral was taking place. »

In 2022, Dr. Chilima was arrested and charged based on allegations that he accepted money in exchange for being awarded government contracts.

Last month, the court dropped the charges against him, without giving reasons for the decision.