Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima Among 10 Killed in Military Plane Crash

Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima,left, and his wife Mary disembark from a plane upon his return from South Korea in Lillongwe, Sunday, June 9, 2024.

Malawi's Vice President Saulos Chilima, 51, was among ten people killed in a small military plane crash in the northern mountainous region of the country, President Lazarus Chakwera announced Tuesday. The crash occurred near the city of Mzuzu, and there were no survivors.

President Chakwera, in a live address on state television, confirmed the wreckage was found after a day-long search through thick forests and rugged terrain. Former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri, the ex-wife of former President Bakili Muluzi, was also on board along with seven passengers and three military crew members.

The group was en route to Mzuzu to attend the funeral of a former government minister. Chilima had just returned from an official visit to South Korea on Sunday. Hundreds of soldiers, police officers, and forest rangers were deployed to locate the aircraft after it disappeared Monday morning during a 45-minute flight from Lilongwe to Mzuzu, approximately 370 kilometers (230 miles) away.

Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima, left, greets government officials upon his return from South Korea in Lillongwe, Sunday, June 9, 2024. A military plane carrying Malawi's vice president and nine others went missing Monday and a search was underway, the president's office said. The plane carrying 51-year-old Vice President Saulos Chilima left the capital, Lilongwe, but failed to make its scheduled landing at Mzuzu International Airport about 370 kilometers (230 miles) to the north around 45 minutes later.

Air traffic controllers had advised the plane not to attempt landing at Mzuzu's airport due to bad weather and poor visibility, instructing it to return to Lilongwe. Shortly after, contact with the aircraft was lost, and it disappeared from radar.

The aircraft, a Dornier 228-type twin-propeller plane operated by the Malawian armed forces, had been in service since 1988. The extensive search involved about 600 personnel, including 300 police officers, 200 soldiers, and local forest rangers, combing through the vast Viphya Mountains forest plantation.

Chilima was in his second term as vice president, having previously served from 2014-2019 under former President Peter Mutharika. He was a candidate in the 2019 presidential election, finishing third in a vote later annulled due to irregularities. Chilima then joined Chakwera's campaign as running mate in the historic 2020 rerun, which saw Chakwera elected president.

A plane carrying Malawi's vice president and nine others from Lilongwe to Mzuzu went missing Monday, prompting a search.

Recently, Chilima faced corruption charges over allegations of receiving money for influencing government contracts. These charges were dropped last month, though the case had drawn criticism regarding the administration's stance on corruption.

The crash investigation drew international support, with the U.S., U.K., Norway, and Israel offering assistance and specialized technology for the search. The U.S. Embassy in Malawi provided a Department of Defense small C-12 plane for the effort.

Chilima's United Transformation Movement political party criticized the government's response as slow and raised concerns about the lack of a transponder on the plane, which carried high-level officials.

Malawi, a nation of around 21 million people, was ranked the fourth poorest country in the world by the World Bank in 2019.