The military aircraft carrying Malawi’s Vice President Saulos Chilima has gone missing.
According to AP News and other outlets on the 10th (local time), a military aircraft carrying a total of 10 people, including Chilima, disappeared after taking off from Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, at around 9:17 AM.
The aircraft was scheduled to arrive at Mzuzu International Airport, approximately 230 miles north, 45 minutes later, but it disappeared from the radar midway.
Chilima was reportedly traveling to attend the funeral of a former Minister of Justice.
The Malawian Presidential Office said in a statement, “The authorities are searching for the aircraft that has disappeared off the radar, but it has not been found yet,” and “Emergency rescue operations have begun.”
Malawi Minister of Information Moses Kunkuyu stated, “We are intensifying our search efforts.”
Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera has directed search and rescue operations and canceled his visit to the Bahamas.
Chilima, a strong candidate for next year’s presidential election, visited Korea on the 5th to attend the Korea-Africa Summit and met with Prime Minister Han Duck Soo.
