Africa
Malawian authorities have declared the vice president of the country, Saulos Klaus Chilima, missing alongside nine others after the plane disappeared.
The president, Lazarus Chakwera, has ordered search and rescue operations which he said will continue until the missing aircraft carrying Chilima, is found, Reuters reported on Monday.
A statement from the Office of the President and Cabinet said Chilima, 51, was aboard a military aircraft with nine others that left Lilongwe, the capital, at 09:17 a.m. (0717 GMT).
The statement said efforts by Malawian aviation authorities to track the aircraft since it derailed from the radar had failed. The plane had been scheduled to land at Mzuzu Airport at 10:02 a.m.
Trouble started when the plane was unable to land at the airport due to poor visibility and was ordered to return to the capital, the president explained in a televised address to the nation.
“I’m holding on to every fibre of hope that we’ll find survivors,” he said, adding that the search area was concentrated around a 10 km (6 mile) radius in a forest reserve.
“I have given strict orders that the operation should continue until the plane is found.”
He said Malawi had reached out to neighbouring countries, and the U.S., Britain, Norway and the Israeli governments for support in the rescue efforts.
