Search Intensifies for Missing Plane with Malawi’s Vice President and Former First Lady Onboard
In Malawi, soldiers, police officers, and forest rangers are conducting an intensive search for a missing military plane carrying Vice President Saulos Chilima, former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri, and eight others.
The plane, a small propeller-driven aircraft operated by the Malawian armed forces, vanished from radar on Monday while en route from Lilongwe to Mzuzu. Authorities believe it may have crashed in the Viphya Mountains due to bad weather and poor visibility.
President Lazarus Chakwera has ordered the search operation to continue around the clock, with 600 personnel deployed in the effort. The U.S., U.K., Norway, and Israel are assisting with specialized technologies.
The search focuses on a 10-kilometer radius in a forest plantation near Mzuzu. The plane’s disappearance occurred as the group was traveling to a funeral for a former government minister.
Chilima had just returned from an official visit to South Korea. The nation remains hopeful for the survival of those onboard.
UPDATE:
View this post on Instagram
