Malawi's Vice President Saulos Chilima and nine others tragically died when their small military plane crashed amid bad weather in the northern mountainous region, President Lazarus Chakwera announced on Tuesday. Chilima was 51.

In a live address on state television, President Chakwera revealed that the wreckage had been discovered after over a day of searching through dense forests and rugged terrain near Mzuzu. He confirmed that the plane was found near a hill, completely destroyed, and that all onboard had perished on impact.

The president expressed profound sorrow, stating, "I am deeply saddened and sorry to inform you all that it has turned out to be a terrible tragedy." He acknowledged the pain and grief the nation would endure in the coming days and weeks.

Chakwera praised Chilima as "a good man, a devoted father and husband, a patriotic citizen who served his country with distinction, and a formidable vice president." He then requested a moment of silence, bowing his head at the podium.

Among the victims was former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri, ex-wife of former President Bakili Muluzi. The ill-fated flight carried seven passengers and three military crew members, en route to Mzuzu for the funeral of a former government minister. Chilima had returned from an official visit to South Korea just the day before.

Since the plane's disappearance on Monday morning, hundreds of soldiers, police officers, and forest rangers had scoured the area, searching for the aircraft that vanished during a 45-minute flight from Lilongwe to Mzuzu, approximately 230 miles apart. Air traffic controllers had advised against landing at Mzuzu due to poor weather and visibility, instructing the plane to return to Lilongwe before losing contact.

The plane, a Dornier 228 twin-propeller aircraft operated by the Malawian armed forces, was delivered to the army in 1988. The search involved around 600 personnel in the Viphya Mountains' vast forest plantation, including 300 police officers, 200 soldiers, and local forest rangers.

Chilima was serving his second term as vice president, previously holding the position from 2014-2019 under President Peter Mutharika. In the 2019 presidential election, he placed third but later joined Chakwera's campaign in a historic 2020 election rerun, resulting in Chakwera's victory after the original vote was annulled due to irregularities.

The international search for the plane involved assistance from the U.S., U.K., Norway, and Israel, offering specialized technologies. The U.S. Embassy in Malawi also contributed a Department of Defense C-12 plane. However, officials from Chilima's United Transformation Movement party criticized the government's response as slow and raised concerns about the plane's lack of a transponder.