John Adoyi
Malawi is in a state of anxiety as news broke that a plane carrying Vice President, Saulos Chilima, went missing on Monday. According to a report by the Nyasa Times newspaper, the Vice President was en route to attend a funeral in the northern part of the country when his aircraft failed to land at Mzuzu Airport.
The newspaper indicated that there are fears the Vice President and the nine other individuals on board may have perished after an eyewitness reported a crash in the Chikangawa Forest. Chikangawa is located in the Mzimba district, approximately 40 kilometers north of the town of Mzuzu, where the Vice President was heading.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe report also suggested that bad weather might caused the crash.
Confirming the incident, Collen Zimba, the Secretary to the President and Cabinet, released a statement saying, “The Malawi Defense Force aircraft that left Lilongwe today, Monday, 10th June 2024, at 09:17 hours, carrying the Vice President, the Right Honourable Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima, and nine others, failed to make its scheduled landing at Mzuzu International Airport at 10:02 hours. All efforts by aviation authorities to make contact with the aircraft since it went off the radar have failed thus far.”
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Despite the lack of official confirmation of a crash, the gravity of the situation has prompted immediate action from the highest levels of government. President Lazarus Chakwera has canceled a planned trip to the Bahamas and has directed all regional and national agencies to commence an urgent search for the missing aircraft.
The disappearance of Vice President Chilima’s plane has left the nation in suspense, with many hoping for a positive outcome despite the grim indications. The search and rescue efforts are ongoing, as the country waits news on the fate of their Vice President and the others on board.
