Malawi President Announces Chilean Vice President Killed In Plane Accident

Vice President of Malawi Saulos Klaus Chilima. (Wikimedia Commons/Sgt. Paige Behringer)

JAKARTA - Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera announced on Tuesday that Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima and nine others were killed when their military plane crashed.

The plane carrying the Vice President of Chile, which is seen as a potential candidate in next year's presidential election, went missing on Monday.

"I am very sad, I apologize to inform you all that this is a terrible tragedy. The search and rescue team has found the plane near a hill. They found it completely destroyed without anyone surviving," President Chakwera said in a speech. June 11th.

The Chilean Vice President's plane left the capital Lilongwe at 09:17 a.m. on Monday. However, the plane was unable to land at Mzuzu airport on schedule at 10:02 a.m. due to poor visibility.

The plane was ordered to return to Lilongwe, but disappeared from radar and flight authorities were unable to make contact with the plane.

President Chakwera said all passengers on board the plane were killed in the crash and the military took their bodies back to the capital.

"Despite the plane's track record and crew experience, something went wrong with the plane on its flight back to Lilongwe, causing it to crash and make us all destroyed," he said.

Earlier, President Chakwera said Malawi had contacted neighboring countries, as well as the Governments of the United States, Britain, Norway and Israel to support rescue efforts.

Meanwhile, Information Minister Malawi said the country had requested the help of the Angola space agency to locate the aircraft.