Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima, 9 others killed in plane crash

Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera announced on June 11 that there were no survivors when a plane carrying Vice President Saulos Chilima and nine others crashed into a forest. 

"The plane has been found and I am deeply saddened and sorry to inform you all, it has turned out to be a terrible tragedy," he said. 

The military plane which was carrying Chilima and nine others disappeared on June 10, as it failed to land in the northern city of Mzuzu due to bad weather conditions and had to return to the capital, Lilongwe. 

Operations were focusing on a forest south of Mzuzu on Tuesday. 

"When the plane went missing, we managed to locate the last tower at which the phones had transmitted, that is why we are concentrating our efforts on that area," Moses Kunkuyu, a spokesman for President Lazarus Chakwera's government. 

The aircraft's last known position was within a 10-kilometer radius of Riaply, a timber milling company located south of Mzuzu. Soldiers are conducting ground searches, aided by torches, according to local reports. Unconfirmed sightings suggest the plane may have crashed into a forested area.

Chakwera, who has canceled a planned visit to the Bahamas, expressed hope and determination in finding the aircraft and any possible survivors. He promised regular updates from the army regarding the search progress.