Aircraft Carrying Malawi’s Vice President Is Missing

A search is underway for a lacking plane carrying the vp of the southeastern African nation of Malawi and 9 different folks, the nation’s authorities stated on Monday.

Vice President Saulos Chilima was touring on a Malawi Defense Force plane that took off at 9:17 a.m. Monday from the capital, Lilongwe. But it missed a scheduled touchdown at an airport within the north of the nation, lower than an hour’s flight away. The plane disappeared from radar and aviation authorities have been unable to ascertain contact with it.

The vp was on his solution to attend the funeral of the nation’s former legal professional common, Ralph Kasambara. But extreme climate in Mzuzu, the flight’s vacation spot, prevented the aircraft from touchdown, stated Lucky Sikwese, an aide within the vp’s workplace.

“The Civil Aviation Authority has confirmed that it has not landed at any of the airports,” he stated. Authorities haven’t positioned a possible crash website. As darkness fell, army and law enforcement officials continued the search by automobile and on foot, however struggled to comb by the thick forests in Malawi’s north, native media reported.

Malawi’s President, Lazarus Chakwera, deployed a search and rescue operation that included each nationwide and regional companies, the federal government stated in a press release. Mr. Chakwera additionally canceled a scheduled journey to the Bahamas, the assertion stated.

Mr. Chilima, 51, was a telecommunications government earlier than getting into Malawi’s political scene a decade in the past. In late 2022 he grew to become embroiled in a corruption scandal and was arrested by the nation’s Anti-Corruption Bureau over accusations that he acquired kickbacks from a businessman in trade for presidency contracts.

Mr. Chilima denied any wrongdoing, however the accusations tarnished a authorities that had sworn to wash up corruption in what’s certainly one of Africa’s poorest international locations. Last month, authorities in Malawi deserted the case and withdrew all costs towards Mr. Chilima.

Mr. Chilima was anticipated to launch a bid for the Malawian presidency within the 2025 election.

Once political rivals, President Chakwera and Vice President Chilima fashioned a coalition in 2019 after shedding an election marred by irregularities. The two candidates efficiently challenged the outcome, and, after a judicial panel dominated of their favor, the 2 males received a subsequent second vote that was carried out in 2020 on the identical ticket.