Malawi's vice president Saulos Chilima and nine others were killed when a Dornier Do-228 operated by the country's Defence Force crashed on Monday. In a broadcast on Tuesday afternoon, President Lazarus Chakwera confirmed that the wreckage of the turboprop twin had been found in a mountainous area with no survivors.
The Do-228 lost radar contact after failing to land in poor weather at Mzuzu International Airport (FWUU) in the north of the East African country at the end of a Monday morning flight from the capital Lilongwe. In addition to vice president Chilima, the aircraft was carrying six other passengers, including Malawi’s former first lady, Shanil Dzimbiri, to attend the funeral of an ex-government minister. There were three flight crew on board.
The airplane was one of three of the German-made types acquired by the Malawian government between 1986 and 1989. The Malawi Defence Force also operates a Chinese Xian MA600 turboprop twin for government transportation flights.