Malawi VP dies in plane crash, wreckage found

Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima died in a plane crash along with nine other passengers, Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera said on Tuesday. Government search and rescue parties found the wreckage in a forested area. All passengers died on impact, Chakwera said. He paid tribute to his former vice president as a patriotic man, a devoted father, and a husband. The flight also carried former First Lady Patricia Shanil Dzimbiri, the wife of former President Bakili Muluzi. The aircraft, a two-engine Dornier 228, went missing on Monday.

Do they know what caused the crash? Chakwera did not give a cause for the crash. The crash occurred despite the experience of the crew and the reliability of the aircraft, Chakwera said. The crew had operated the Dornier without any issues hours before the fatal flight and the president himself had previously used the plane for state travel, Chakwera added.

Where was Chilima going? The vice president was traveling to attend the funeral of former Minister of Justice and Attorney General Ralph Kasambara, who died on Friday. Chilima was first elected in 2014 and served without issue until 2022, when he was arrested and charged in a bribery scandal. The 55-year-old denied the allegations. A court dropped all charges against Chilima last month without explanation, and he was allowed to resume his governmental duties.