Search and rescue operations will proceed till the lacking plane carrying Malawi’s vp, Saulos Klaus Chilima, is discovered, the southern African nation’s president stated late on Monday.
Chilima, 51, was aboard a army plane with 9 others that left Lilongwe, the capital, at 9.17 am Malawi’s Workplace of the President and Cupboard stated in an earlier assertion.
It stated efforts by aviation authorities to make contact with the plane because it went off the radar had failed. The aircraft had been scheduled to land at Mzuzu Airport at 10.02 am.
The aircraft was unable to land on the airport as a consequence of poor visibility and was ordered to return to the capital, President Lazarus Chakwera stated in a televised tackle to the nation.
“I am holding on to each fibre of hope that we’ll discover survivors,” he stated, including that the search space was concentrated round a ten km radius in a forest reserve.
“I’ve given strict orders that the operation ought to proceed till the aircraft is discovered.”
He stated Malawi had reached out to neighbouring nations, and the US, Britain, Norway and the Israeli governments for help within the rescue efforts.
Chilima, seen as a possible candidate in subsequent 12 months’s presidential election, was arrested in 2022 over graft allegations.
Learn: Malawi VP arrested over bribes claims
Nonetheless, a Malawi courtroom dropped the corruption costs towards him final month after the director of public prosecutions filed a discover for the case to be discontinued. Chilima has denied any wrongdoing.
