Urgent search as Malawi Vice President’s plane ‘disappears from radar’ | World | News
An urgent search is underway after a plane carrying 10 passengers including the Vice President of Malawi has disappeared from radar.
The aircraft carrying Saulos Chilim is missing, a statement from the President’s Office confirmed on Monday.
The Malawi Defense Force plane “went off the radar” after it departed from Lilongwe earlier today.
Malawi’s President, Lazarus Chakwera, has ordered a search and rescue operation.
The plane was scheduled to land at Mzuzu International Airport, in the country’s north, just after 10:00 local time (11:00 BST).
President Chakwera has cancelled a trip to the Bahamas after the news broke.
In a statement, a Malawi government spokesperson said: “The office of the President and Cabinet wishes to inform the general public that the Malawi Defence Force aircraft that left Lilongwe today, Monday 10 June at 09:17 hours, carrying the Vice President…and nine others failed to make its scheduled landing at Mzuzu International Airport at 10:02.
“All efforts by aviation authorities to make contact with the Aircraft since it went off the radar have failed thus far.
“As such, the commander of the Malawi Defence Force, General Valentino Phiri, has since informed His Excellency Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera of the incident and the President has since cancelled his scheduled departure for the Bahamas and ordered all regional and national agencies to conduct an immediate search and rescue operation to locate the whereabouts of the aircraft.
“The public will be updated of any developments on the situation as the facts are established.”
More to follow…
