Malawi's vice president, Saulos Chilima, and nine others are missing after the military aircraft they were traveling in failed to land on Monday morning.
The plane, which took off just after 9:00 am local time (0700 GMT), lost contact with aviation authorities and has not been located since.
In a statement, the Malawian government confirmed the disappearance and noted that all efforts to re-establish communication with the aircraft have been unsuccessful. President Lazarus Chakwera has ordered both regional and national forces to launch an immediate search and rescue operation to determine the aircraft's whereabouts.
President Chakwera, who was scheduled to travel to the Bahamas for a working visit, has canceled his trip to oversee the search and rescue efforts. The disappearance of Vice President Chilima has raised significant concern across the nation.
Chilima, 51, has been a prominent figure in Malawian politics. In 2022, he was stripped of his powers and faced legal challenges after being arrested and charged with graft in connection to a bribery scandal involving a British-Malawian businessman. However, just last month, a Malawian court dropped the charges following several court appearances by Chilima.
The sudden disappearance of the vice president has prompted widespread anxiety and hope for a swift and successful resolution to the search and rescue operation. The government has pledged to provide updates as new information becomes available.