(CNN) 鈥� Malawi鈥檚 Vice President Saulos Chilima has been killed in a plane crash along with nine other passengers, the country鈥檚 President Lazarus Chakwera announced Tuesday.
The aircraft went missing after it failed to land at the Mzuzu International Airport, about 380 km (240 miles) to the north of the capital Lilongwe. The wreckage of the plane has been located, Chakwera said in an address to the nation.
鈥淭he search and rescue operation I ordered to find the missing plane that carried our vice president and nine others has been completed. The plane has been found. And I am deeply saddened and sorry to inform you that it has turned out to be a terrible tragedy,鈥� Chakwera聽said.
The Malawian leader disclosed that the aircraft was found 鈥渃ompletely destroyed鈥� near a hill in the Chikangawa聽Forest in northern Malawi, adding that 鈥渨ords cannot describe how heartbreaking this is.鈥�
Chakwera paid tribute to his deputy, describing him as 鈥渁 good man, a devoted father and husband, (and) a patriotic citizen who served his country with distinction.鈥�
鈥淗is passing is a terrible loss to his wife, Mary, his family, his friends, his colleagues in the cabinet and to all of us as a nation,鈥� Chakwera said in his address from the Malawian capital. The president also mourned the loss of the other passengers onboard.
The Malawian leader highlighted the tragic nature of the accident, telling journalists that he had himself previously traveled on the same aircraft.
鈥淵et despite the track record of the aircraft and the experience of the crew, something terrible went wrong with that aircraft on its flight back to Lilongwe,鈥� he added.
On Monday evening, the president had told journalists that air traffic control had advised the vice president鈥檚 plane against trying to land, and recommended turning back to the capital due to poor visibility. Not long after, the authorities lost contact with the aircraft, and started a search operation.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Malawi Defence Force said it had deployed drones and at least 200 soldiers to search for the plane at the Chikangawa聽Forest reserve where signals of its whereabouts were last received.
The Force Commander Paul Valentino Phiri said rescue operations had been delayed by bad weather conditions.
The vice president and nine other victims will all be laid to rest in 鈥渁 dignified manner,鈥� Chakwera said, adding that an effort is already underway to transport their remains to capital.
Chilima, 51, arrived back in聽Malawi聽on June 6 after attending the Korea-Africa聽Summit in Seoul last week. He first served as deputy to former President Peter Mutharika before being sworn in as vice president for a second time in 2020. An economist, Chilima previously headed Airtel Malawi, the first Malawian to lead the telecommunications company.
鈥淚 consider it one of the greatest honors of my life to have had him as my deputy and counsellor for the past four years,鈥� President Chakwera said.
Chilima is聽survived聽by his wife Mary and two children.
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