Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima’s plane has gone missing, prompting a search and rescue operation, according to Information and Civic Education Minister Moses Kunkuyu. 

The military aircraft carrying Chilima and nine others, including former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri, lost contact with air traffic control on Monday after taking off from the capital, Lilongwe.

The plane was headed to Mzuzu International Airport but was unable to land due to bad weather and poor visibility. 

The last known position of the plane was tracked to a 10-kilometer radius in a forest reserve near Mzuzu, where search efforts are focused.

President Lazarus Chakwera has assured the public that all available resources are being used to find the plane and its passengers. 

The US, UK, Norway, and Israel have offered assistance in the search operation, providing specialized technologies to aid in the search.

Chilima has been vice president since 2020 and was a candidate in the 2019 presidential election. He has been facing corruption charges but was cleared last month. The cause of the plane’s disappearance is still unknown.

The search operation is ongoing, with the president urging the public to pray for those onboard and their families.

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