02 am but was unable to do so due to poor visibility and was ordered to return to the capital.

Authorities lost contact with the plane after it went off the radar, prompting a search operation.

'I'm deeply saddened.

I'm sorry to inform you all that it has turned out to be a terrible tragedy,' Mr.

Chakwera said.

'The search and rescue team has found the aircraft near a hill.

.

.

they have found it completely destroyed with no survivors.

' Despite the aircraft's track record and the crew's experience, something went terribly wrong on its flight back to Lilongwe, causing it to crash and leaving everyone devastated.

He mentioned that all passengers died on impact, and their remains would be returned to the capital by the military.

Former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri, the ex-wife of former president Bakili Muluzi, was also on the plane, the president said.

Mr.

Chilima, who was seen as a potential candidate in Malawi's presidential election set for next year, was arrested in 2022 on corruption allegations.

This led to criticism that Mr.

Chakwera's administration was not taking a hard enough stance against graft.

However, a Malawian court dropped the charges against him last month after the director of public prosecutions filed a notice for the case to be discontinued.

The previous election was won by incumbent Peter Mutharika but was annulled by Malawi's Constitutional Court due to irregularities.

Mr.

Chilima then joined Mr.

Chakwera's campaign as his running mate in a historic election re-run in 2020, when Mr.

Chakwera was elected president.

It was the first time in Africa that an election result overturned by a court resulted in a defeat for the sitting president.

Malawi is a landlocked country in south-eastern Africa, bordered by Tanzania to the north, Lake Malawi to the east, Mozambique to the east and south, and Zambia to the west.

It lies in a hilly, forested area dominated by the Viphya mountain range, which has vast plantations of pine trees.

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.

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