A plane carrying Malawi's Vice President, Saulos Chilima, and nine others has mysteriously disappeared mid-air, sparking a massive search and rescue operation.
The Malawi Defense Force aircraft took off from the capital city's airport on Monday morning but lost contact with aviation officials shortly after departure. It was scheduled to land at Mzuzu International Airport in the country's north at 10:00 local time (11:00 BST).
President Lazarus Chakwera has canceled his trip to the Bahamas to oversee the search efforts, which are being led by the Malawi Defense Force with support from regional and national agencies.
The missing aircraft was carrying a total of ten people, including the Vice President, his wife Mary, former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri, and several military personnel and officials from the vice-president's United Transformation Movement (UTM) party.
Aviation officials have attempted to reestablish contact with the plane but all efforts have been unsuccessful. The cause of the disappearance is still unknown, and an investigation is underway.
The country is on high alert as the search efforts continue, with many taking to social media to pray for the safe return of the Vice President and those on board.
The incident has sparked concern across the country, with many calling for swift action to locate the missing plane and its passengers.
The government has urged the public to remain calm and await further updates from the authorities as the search operation continues.
As the search efforts enter their second day, the nation waits with bated breath for news of the missing plane and its passengers.