In a late-night address, Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera announced that his government has reached out to neighboring countries and development partners for assistance in locating a military plane carrying Vice President Saulos Chilima and nine others, which went missing on Monday morning.
President Chakwera said the US, Israeli, Norwegian, and British governments have been contacted for possible assistance.
These partners have offered support in various forms, including the use of specialized technologies “that will enhance our capacity to find the plane sooner”.
“I know that this is a heartbreaking situation. I know that we are all frightened and concerned.
“I, too, am concerned. But I want to assure you that I’m sparing no available resource to find that plane, and I’m holding on to every fiber of hope that we will find survivors,” Chakwera stated.
According to the Malawi Defense Force, the plane carrying Vice President Saulos Chilima departed from Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital, at 9:17 a.m. (0717 GMT) on Monday, headed for the northern city of Mzuzu.
Chilima was on his way to attend the funeral ceremony of former Justice Minister and Attorney General Ralph Kasambara, who had passed away suddenly on Friday.
The plane was unable to land at Mzuzu International Airport as scheduled due to poor visibility. It was forced to turn back to Lilongwe but disappeared from the radar while en route to the capital.
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