Malawia's President Lazarus Chakwera on Tuesday confirmed there had been 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," Chakwera was quoted by AFP as having said.
Earlier, the country’s military plane carrying its Vice President Chilima, 51, and nine others disappeared on Monday, after it failed to land in the northern city of Mzuzu due to bad weather and was told to return to the capital, Lilongwe.
The searches were launched inside forests of Mzuzu today morning.
The report quoting a government spokesperson said, "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.”
Another official the above report quoted said other countries, including Malawi's neighbours, were aiding the effort, with support including helicopters and drones.
The US Embassy in Lilongwe said it was working with the government to "offer all available assistance" including the use of a C-12 military aircraft.
"We join President Chakwera in his prayers for the well-being of all those on board," the US embassy said.
