The search and rescue operation for the missing plane carrying Malawian Vice President Saulos Chilima continues this morning, with chances of survival thinning.
Search Operation For The Missing Plane Carrying Malawian Vice President Saulos Chilima Continues
A flight departing from Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital, failed to land at Mzuzu International Airport as scheduled on Monday morning. Among the passengers were Dr Chilima and nine others. Also on the missing military aircraft was former Malawian President Dr. Bakili Muluzi’s ex-wife, Shanil Muluzi.
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The aircraft lost contact with aviation authorities nearly an hour after takeoff.
Dr Chilima was heading to Mzuzu to attend the burial of former Attorney General Ralph Kasambara in Nkhata Bay. He had just returned from South Korea, where he attended the Korea-Africa summit on behalf of President Lazarus Chakwera. Chilima intended to return to Lilongwe by 5 PM to see off President Chakwera, who was departing for The Bahamas and Switzerland.
At approximately 10:50 AM, the ground crew contacted the plane, advising the crew to return to base due to poor weather conditions in Mzuzu. This was the last communication received from the aircraft.
According to reports, the plane was a Dornier 228. It was purchased from Germany as a transport plane for the Malawian Defence Forces decades ago and was long overdue for retirement.
Last night, President Chakwera revealed that upon learning of the plane’s disappearance from radar, he ordered the Malawi Defence Forces to conduct an investigation and provide a report. He directed the Defence Forces and other aviation authorities to initiate a search and rescue mission and sought assistance from neighbouring countries.
More Details On The Rescue Mission
As of now, there have been no sightings of the aircraft. Various search efforts throughout the night yielded no results.
Chilima’s wife, Mary, was supposed to accompany the Vice President but she declined at the last minute because she had examinations.
Several teams have joined the search and rescue mission, including a drone team from the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), which departed late at night from Thyolo. The US government has also dispatched a search team from one of its African bases.
The teams are searching Chikangawa Forest, a vast area spanning over 50,000 hectares. This dense forest, established in 1964 and planted with exotic pines, presents significant challenges due to its size and the current wet weather conditions. These difficulties on Monday night prompted the Defence Forces to suspend their search temporarily.
Media reports indicated that locals witnessed an aircraft descending in the forest area, but these leads proved fruitless.
The search efforts continue, with hopes that the aircraft will be located. However, concerns persist about the well-being of those on board due to the delayed response. Mzimba District Hospital, located near the search area, is on high alert in preparation for any eventualities.
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The post BREAKING: Search Operation For The Missing Plane Carrying Malawian Vice President Saulos Chilima Continues As More Details Emerge appeared first on iHarare News.
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