A plane carrying Malawi’s vice president, Saulos Chilima, and nine other people disappeared, a statement from the president’s office said.
The Malawi Defense Force aircraft “went off radar” after leaving the capital, Lilongwe, on Monday morning, he added.
The president ordered a search and rescue operation after aviation authorities were unable to contact the aircraft.
The plane was due to land at Mzuzu International Airport in the north of the country shortly after 10am local time (9am BST).
After being informed of the incident by the Commander of the Defense Forces, the President of Malawi Lazarus Chakwera canceled his flight to the Bahamas, scheduled for Monday night.
“The public will be updated on any developments in the situation as the facts are established,” the president’s office said.
The reason for the aircraft’s disappearance is not yet known, General Valentino Phiri told Mr Chakwera. Moses Kunkuyu, Malawi’s information minister, told the BBC that efforts to find the aircraft were “intensive.”
Mr Chilima was on his way to represent the government at the burial of former minister Ralph Kasambara, who died three days ago.
Kunkuyu said: “The airport he was supposed to land at, which is in the northern part of Mzuzu, was the closest to where the funeral was taking place.”
In 2022, Dr. Chilima was arrested and charged on allegations that he accepted money in exchange for awarding government contracts.
Last month, the court dropped the charges, without giving reasons for this decision.
Who was Saulos Chilima?
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Prior to his political career, Dr. Chilima held key leadership positions in multinational companies such as Unilever and Coca Cola.
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He is 51 years old
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He is married and has two children
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Dr Chilima is described on the government website as an “artist”, “workaholic” and “an entrepreneur”.
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Has a PhD in Knowledge Management
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