By Kiptoo Hildah
The Vice President of Malawi Saulos Chilima, along with 9 other individuals who were on board in a military aircraft, have been confirmed dead by Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera.
“I am deeply saddened to inform you all,that it has turned out be a terrible tragedy,the search and the rescue team has found the aircraft near a hill in the Chikangawa forest and they have found it completely destroyed,with no survivors as all passengers on board were killed on impact,” said the President.
The military plane- Malawi Army Air Wing Dornier 228-202k aircraft which left Lilongwe at 9:17 am on Monday morning was reported to have been missing as it failed to make its scheduled landing at Mzuzu International Airport at 10:02 hours.
“The Office of the President and Cabinet wishes to inform the general public that 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,” read the statement Monday 10th June 2024.
The military aircraft is reportedly to have been flying in bad weather before loosing its contact with the team on the ground.Malawi President Dr. Lazurus McCarthy Chakwera, expressed his condolences to the families of the Vice President and all those who have lost their loved ones in the incident.
The president gave a tribute of Saulos as a good man, devoted father and a formidable vice president.
Following Dr. Chilima’s demise,Malawi President has declared a national day of mourning and has ordered that all flags fly at half from today until the day when the funeral will be conducted.
Dr Chilima, 51, was on his way to represent the government at the burial of former government minister Ralph Kasambara, who died four days ago.
He has served as the Vice President of Republic of Malawi from 2014 to 2019 and again from 2020 until his death. Chilima assumed office on 28 June 2020, winning the majority alongside presidential candidate Lazarus Chakwera.