Plane Crash in Malawi Results in Tragic Deaths of Vice President and 9 Others

BLANTYRE, Malawi—Malawian Vice President Saulos Chilima and nine other people tragically lost their lives when the small military plane they were traveling in crashed in unfavorable weather conditions in a mountainous area in the north of the country, President Lazarus Chakwera announced on Tuesday. Mr. Chilima was 51.

During a live address on state television, President Chakwera revealed that after more than a day of searching through dense forests and hilly terrain near Mzuzu, the wreckage of the plane was discovered. He mentioned that the plane was found near a hill and had been completely destroyed, resulting in the loss of everyone on board.

The president received the news from the head of Malawi’s armed forces and expressed his deep sorrow and regret over the tragic incident. He described it as a terrible tragedy that left the nation in mourning.

He spoke highly of Mr. Chilima, calling him a good man, a devoted father and husband, a patriotic citizen, and a formidable vice president. President Chakwera requested a moment of silence as a mark of respect and stood with reverence at the podium during his address.

Former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri, the ex-wife of former President Bakili Muluzi, was also on the plane, President Chakwera had mentioned. There were seven passengers and three military crew members on board.

The group was en route to Mzuzu to attend the funeral of a former government minister. Mr. Chilima had just returned from an official visit to South Korea on Sunday.

Search efforts involving hundreds of soldiers, police officers, and forest rangers were launched after the plane went missing on Monday morning during its 45-minute flight from the capital, Lilongwe, to Mzuzu in the north.

Air traffic controllers had advised against landing at Mzuzu’s airport due to adverse weather conditions and poor visibility, instructing the plane to return to Lilongwe, President Chakwera disclosed in a late-night address on Monday. Contact was lost with the aircraft, and it vanished from radar, he added.

The president described the aircraft as a small, propeller-driven plane operated by the Malawian armed forces. Identification details indicated it was a Dornier 228-type twin propeller plane delivered to the Malawian army in 1988, according to the ch-aviation website.

Around 600 personnel participated in the search in the vast forest plantation in the Viphya Mountains near Mzuzu, with approximately 300 police officers, 200 soldiers, and local forest rangers involved, authorities confirmed.

Mr. Chilima was in his second term as vice president and had previously served from 2014–2019 under former President Peter Mutharika. Following a disputed 2019 Malawian presidential election, he had teamed up with Mr. Chakwera and won in an election rerun in 2020, marking a significant shift in African politics.

Mr. Chilima had been recently accused of corruption, but the charges were dropped last month. Despite the controversy, the tragic event united political parties and international communities in expressing condolences and offering support.

The search operation lasted over 24 hours and received international assistance from countries like the U.S., the U.K., Norway, and Israel. The U.S. Embassy in Malawi also joined in the effort by providing resources and support.

However, some criticized the government’s response as slow and raised concerns about the absence of a transponder on the ill-fated aircraft carrying a high-level delegation.

Malawi, a nation of around 21 million people, faces economic challenges and was classified as the fourth poorest country globally by the World Bank in 2019.

By Gregory Gondwe and Gerald Imray