A military plane carrying Malawi's Vice President Saulos Chilima and former First Lady Shanil Dzimbiri has gone missing in the mountainous forests of the country's northern region. President Lazarus Chakwera announced on Monday that soldiers are actively searching for the aircraft.

The plane, which was carrying the Vice President, the former First Lady, and eight others, departed from Lilongwe, Malawi's capital, at 9:17 a.m. on Monday. It was scheduled to land at Mzuzu International Airport 45 minutes later. However, due to bad weather and poor visibility, air traffic control advised the plane to turn back. Shortly after, the aircraft lost contact and disappeared from radar.

President Chakwera addressed the nation through the MBC TV channel, saying, "I know this is a heartbreaking situation. I know we are all frightened and concerned. I too am concerned. But I want to assure you that I am sparing no available resource to find that plane. And I am holding onto every fiber of hope that we will find survivors."

Mzuzu, the third-largest city in Malawi and the capital of the northern region, is situated in a hilly, forested area dominated by the Viphya mountain range, known for its extensive pine plantations. This challenging terrain is now the focal point of the search operation.

President Chakwera assured the public that the search would continue and revealed that telecommunications towers had tracked the plane's last known position to a 10-kilometer (6-mile) radius within one of the plantations. The Malawi Defense Force is concentrating its search and rescue efforts in this area.

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