Malawi has declared 21 days of national mourning in honour of late Vice-President Saulos Chilima and nine others who were killed in a plane crash on Monday.
Chilima and other passengers were flying on Monday towards a northern province of Mzuzu when the military plane went of airport radars while flying back in bad weather.
The plane’s wreckage was found on Tuesday in thick forests and hilly terrain near the town of Mzuzu.
The mourning period begins on Tuesday June 11 to Monday July 1, the cabinet announced in a statement on Tuesday.
President Lazarus Chakwera has directed that all flags be flown at half-mast throughout the period of mourning. He added that details on the funerals for victims will be announced later.
The bodies of Chilima and the other victims have been flown to the capital, Lilongwe by the Malawi Defence Forces.
President Chakwera was accompanied by cabinet ministers and other aides to receive the bodies at Kamuzu International Airport on Tuesday evening.
World leaders have been conveying their condolences to the families and the government of Malawi.
Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, in a statement on Tuesday, extended his condolences to Malawian President, Lazarus Chakwera, and the people of Malawi over the tragic loss of Vice President Saulos Chilima and other officials in a plane crash on Monday.
Also, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Mahamat, said he was deeply saddened to learn that the search and rescue mission for the missing aircraft carrying Chilima and nine other occupants found no survivors.
“The Chairperson reiterates the African Union’s strong solidarity with H.E President Lazarus Chakwera, the Government and the People of Malawi during this difficult time, with prayers for the peaceful repose of the souls of the departed,” the statement read.