The military aircraft carrying Malawi Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima is missing after it did not make a landing Monday morning, according to a government statement.
The plane took off just after 9:00 a.m. local time. The craft was carrying the 51-year-old vice president and nine other individuals. It left the capital, Lilongwe, but failed to make its scheduled landing at Mzuzu International Airport about 370 kilometers (230 miles) to the north, 45 minutes later.
“All efforts by aviation authorities to make contact with the aircraft since it went off the radar have failed thus far,” said a government news release.
President Lazarus Chakwera has canceled an upcoming trip to the Bahamas for a working visit. According to the released statement, he has called for an immediate search and rescue operation.
“The public will be updated of any developments on the situation as facts are established,” the statement concluded.
Chilima was stripped of his powers after being arrested and charged over a bribery scandal in 2022, but charges were later dropped by a Malawian court after he made several court appearances and the head prosecutor filed notice for the case to be discontinued.
Some material in this report is from Agence France-Presse and the Associated Press.
