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President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi declared on Tuesday that Vice President Saulos Chilima and nine other passengers had perished in an aircraft accident.
After the plane failed to make a landing at Mzuzu International Airport, located roughly 380 kilometres (240 miles) north of the capital Lilongwe, it vanished from sight. In a speech to the country, Chakwera announced the location of the plane's wreckage.
"We've successfully finished the search and rescue mission I directed to locate the missing aircraft carrying our vice president and nine other people. The aircraft has been located. And it has turned out to be a terrible tragedy, for which I am incredibly sorry and devastated," Chakwera remarked.
The head of Malawi said that the plane was discovered "utterly destroyed" next to a hill in the northern Malawian Chikangawa Forest, saying, "Words cannot express how tragic this is."
"A good man, a devoted father and husband, (and) a patriotic citizen who served his country with distinction," was how Chakwera honoured his constable.
In his speech from the capital of Malawi, Chakwera stated, "His passing is a terrible loss to his wife, Mary, his family, his friends, his colleagues in the cabinet and to all of us as a nation." The other passengers on board were likewise mourned by the president.
The president of Malawi emphasised the terrible nature of the mishap by informing reporters that he had taken the same flight on another occasion.
"However, something awful went wrong with that aircraft on its flight back to Lilongwe, despite the aircraft's history and the crew's experience," he continued.
The president informed reporters on Monday night that due to low visibility, air traffic control had ordered the vice president's jet not to attempt a landing and to return to the capital. Shortly afterward, the authorities initiated a search and rescue mission after losing communication with the aircraft.
The Malawi Defence Force announced earlier on Tuesday that it has sent out drones and at least 200 soldiers to hunt for the jet in the Chikangawa Forest Reserve, which is where the last signals indicating its whereabouts were received.
Bad weather, according to Force Commander Paul Valentino Phiri, has delayed rescue operations.
According to Chakwera, the vice president and the other nine victims will all be buried in "a dignified manner."
Live images indicated that Chakwera received their bodies as they arrived in the capital on Tuesday night.
For 21 days, the nation will be in national mourning for Chilima and the other officials who perished in the collision. According to a statement from the president's office, the mourning period will begin on June 11 and extend until July 1.
After learning of the jet disaster, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his "deep sadness." He remarked, "We stand with the people of Malawi at this sad time and we offer condolences to their families."
Chilima, 51, returned to Malawi on June 6 after spending the previous week in Seoul attending the Korea-Africa Summit. Prior to taking office as vice president again in 2020, he originally assisted outgoing President Peter Mutharika as his deputy from 2014 to 2019. Economist Chilima was the first Malawian to oversee Airtel Malawi, a telecommunications business.
"Having him as my deputy and counsellor for the past four years is one of the greatest honours of my life," President Chakwera remarked.
The two children and his wife Mary survive Chilima.
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