The Vice President of Malawi, Dr. Saulos Chilima, and 9 other people including his wife, were killed when the plane they were travelling in crashed in the Chikangawa forest, the government said Tuesday. The announcement was made Tuesday morning in a statement by the Office of the President and Cabinet, which said, "unfortunately, all on board have perished in the crash," which happened Monday morning after the military aircraft took off from the country's capital Lilongwe. Dr Saulos Chilima and the other passengers had been headed to attend the funeral of the country's former attorney general

The Vice President of Malawi, Dr. Saulos Chilima, and 9 other people including his wife, were killed when the plane they were travelling in crashed in the Chikangawa forest, the government said Tuesday.

The announcement was made Tuesday morning in a statement by the Office of the President and Cabinet, which said, "unfortunately, all on board have perished in the crash," which happened Monday morning after the military aircraft took off from the country's capital Lilongwe.

Dr Saulos Chilima and the other passengers had been headed to attend the funeral of the country's former attorney general when their plane dropped off radar. Air traffic officials said the plane had been unable to land at Mzuzu airport, about 200 miles north of the capital, due to poor visibility, and the pilot had been advised to return to Lilongwe when the flight disappeared.

Chilima, 51, had been seen in Malawi as a possible contender for next year's presidential election.

President Lazarus Chakwera declared a national day of mourning and has ordered that all flags fly at half-mast from today until the day of the funeral.



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