Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera has told the nation that the search and rescue operation to find the missing aircraft carrying his Vice President will continue until it’s found, refuting some media reports that the mission had been suspended due to lack of equipment and capability.
Addressing the nation late on Monday night, Chakwera said his government had requested for assistance from neighboring countries and development partners, including the US, UK, Norway and Israel, who had all pledged assistance in various ways including advanced technology.
He urged citizens to rely only on official information sources, particularly the Malawi Defense Forces who would regularly update the nation to ensure that everyone is aware of what’s happening.
During the devastating Cyclone Freddy in 2023, Malawi reportedly sought assistance for helicopters from Zambia and Tanzania.
The military plane ferrying Vice President Saulos Chilima and 9 others, including the crew, to the funeral of the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General from Lilongwe to Mzuzu vanished in the morning yesterday after it failed to make a scheduled landing at 10:02 a.m. in Mzuzu.
President Chakwera said the plane failed to land due to poor visibility occasioned by bad weather prompting air traffic control to advise the pilot to return to Lilongwe. Shortly after that, all communication was lost.
The plane went missing in the vast Chikangawa Forest, which measures 1,147.8 km² and is populated by dangerous animals.
Signal is said to have been established in a section of the forest where the rescue mission is now concentrated, according to President Chakwera.
