Plane carrying Malawi vice president missing, search underway

BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP) — Soldiers are searching hills and forests near a town in northern Malawi after a military plane carrying the country's vice president disappeared in the region Monday, President Lazarus Chakwera said .

The plane carrying Vice President Saulos Chilima, 51, and nine others left the southern African country's capital, Lilongwe, at 9:17 a.m. and was due to land 45 minutes later at Mzuzu International Airport , about 370 kilometers (230 miles) to the north. . But air traffic control ordered him to turn around due to bad weather and poor visibility, Chakwera said in a speech broadcast live on state broadcaster MBC. The plane disappeared from radar shortly after, he said.

“I know this is a heartbreaking situation. I know we are all scared and worried. I too am worried,” Chakwera said. “But I want to assure you that I will spare no available resource in finding this plane. And I hold on to every fiber of hope that we will find survivors.

Mzuzu is the third largest city in Malawi and the capital of the northern region. It lies in a hilly, forested area dominated by the Viphya mountain range, which has extensive pine plantations.

The president promised that search operations would continue throughout the night.

“I have given strict orders that the operation will continue until the plane is found,” Chakwera said.

Chakwera said the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway and Israel had offered to help in the search operation.

Chilima has served as vice president since 2020.

He was a candidate in the 2019 Malawian presidential election and finished third. This vote was won by incumbent President Peter Mutharika but was overturned by Malawi's Constitutional Court due to irregularities. Chakwera finished second in that election.

Chilima later joined Chakwera's campaign as a vice presidential candidate a historic electoral recovery in 2020, when Chakwera was elected president. It was the first time in Africa that an electoral result annulled by a court resulted in a defeat for the sitting president.

The vice president was facing corruption charges over allegations he received money in exchange for influence over the awarding of government contracts, but prosecutors dropped the charges last month. This sparked criticism that Chakwera's administration was not taking a strong enough stance against corruption.

Chilima was arrested in late 2022 and has appeared in court several times, but the trial has not yet started. He denied the allegations.

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Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa.

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