2024 Malawi aircraft disappearance
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (June 2024) |
| Date | 10 June 2024 |
|---|---|
| Site | Chikangawa Forest Reserve, Malawi |
| Operator | Malawian Defence Force |
| Flight origin | Lilongwe, Malawi |
| Destination | Mzuzu Airport, Malawi |
| Occupants | 10 |
| Missing | 10 |
On 10 June 2024, a Malawi Defense Force aircraft carrying Malawi's Vice-President Saulos Chilima along with nine other passengers disappeared from radar in Chikangawa Forest Reserve in Mzimba District, prompting a search and rescue operation.[1][2]
Background[edit]
A Malawi Defense Force aircraft with Malawi's Vice-President Saulos Chilima, former First Lady Patricia Shanil Muluzi[3] and eight others as passengers left Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, on Monday at 9:17 a.m. (CAT), and was planned to land in the Northern Region at Mzuzu Airport about 370 km (230 miles) away at 10:02 a.m.[4] The flight was to attend the funeral of lawyer Ralph Kasambara, and was planned to return back to Lilongwe after the funeral. The Vice-President was facing corruption charges, but the charges were dropped by prosecutors last month.[5][6]
Disappearance[edit]
In a statement made by Malawi's Office of the President and Cabinet, the aircraft disappeared from radar shortly after taking off from Lilongwe, with aviation officials unable to contact the aircraft. The disappearance prompted a search and rescue operation for the aircraft.[1]
Malawi's President Lazarus Chakwera cancelled a flight to the Bahamas after learning about the disappearance, and ordered a search and rescue operation.[7]
Bad weather was present along the intended flight path, and eyewitnesses reported an aircraft crash in the Chikangawa forest area. Chilima's phone was claimed by local news sources to have been last detected at around 10:30 a.m. (CAT).[5]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Saulos Chilima: Malawi vice-president's plane goes missing". www.bbc.com. 2024-06-10. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
- ^ "Incident Dornier 228 ? ,". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
- ^ "Soldiers in Malawi search for missing military plane carrying vice president and former first lady". AP News. 10 June 2024. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
- ^ Mathers, Matt (2024-06-10). "Aircraft carrying Malawi vice president Saulos Chilima goes missing". The Independent. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
- ^ a b "Malawi Vice President feared dead in plane crash Malawi 24 | Latest News from Malawi". Malawi 24. 2024-06-10. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
- ^ "Aircraft carrying Malawi vice president missing, search under way". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
- ^ "Plane Carrying Malawi's VP Missing: Govt". www.barrons.com. 10 June 2024. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
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