The president of Malawi said Tuesday that the country’s vice president had been killed in a plane crash a day earlier that had prompted a massive search effort.
The plane went missing on Monday morning, prompting a massive search and rescue operation for the vice president, Saulos Chilima, and the nine other people on board.
In an address to the nation on Tuesday, President Lazarus Chakwera said the wreckage had been found and there were no survivors.
“Something terrible went wrong with that flight,” Mr. Chakwera said.
He called Mr. Chilima, 51, a “good man” who “served his country with distinction.”
Details about the other victims were not immediately available.
The Malawian military aircraft carrying Mr. Chilima and nine others took off at 9:17 a.m. on Monday from the capital, Lilongwe. It was bound for Mzuzu, less than an hour’s flight away, according to the government.
The plane was unable to land because of poor visibility caused by bad weather, Mr. Chakwera had said in a televised address late on Monday. The pilot was instructed to turn back, but within minutes, the aircraft disappeared from radar.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.