The government of Malawi has reported that a military plane transporting Vice President Saulos Chilima has gone missing.
The aircraft lost contact with aviation authorities and failed to land as scheduled yesterday morning.
Despite continuous attempts, aviation officials have been unable to re-establish communication with the missing plane since it disappeared from radar.
The aircraft departed shortly after 9:00 am local time (0700 GMT), with Vice President Chilima, aged 51, and nine additional passengers on board.
In response to the crisis, President Lazarus Chakwera has directed both regional and national forces to launch an urgent search and rescue mission to determine the aircraft’s location.
Following the incident, President Chakwera has also called off his planned working visit to the Bahamas.
This incident comes after a period of political controversy for Vice President Chilima, who was relieved of his official duties in 2022 following his arrest on corruption charges linked to a bribery case with a British-Malawian businessman.
However, the charges were dismissed last month after Chilima made multiple court appearances.
