Malawi Vice President dies in plane crash alongside wife, others
7:13 AM EDT, June 11, 2024, updated: 7:43 AM EDT, June 11, 2024
Vice President of Malawi, Saulos Chilima, died in a plane crash along with his wife and eight other people, the Malawian government announced on Tuesday.
The Malawi Defense Forces airplane disappeared from the radar on Monday during a flight from the country's capital, Lilongwe, to the city of Mzuzu, located about 230 miles to the north. Since then, contact with the crew has not been established.
According to the BBC, Vice President Saulos Chilima was traveling to Mzuzu to represent the government at the funeral of former minister Ralph Kasambara, who passed away three days earlier.
Mourning announced
On Tuesday, the Malawian government announced that Saulos Chilima died in a plane crash along with his wife and eight other people.
In a statement, it was conveyed that "unfortunately, all those on board died." President Lazarus Chakwera declared Tuesday a day of national mourning.
In June 2022, Saulos Chilima was suspended from office due to a corruption scandal involving government contracts worth $150 million. In May of this year, a court in Malawi cleared the vice president of the charges.
