BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP) — The Malawi government said Wednesday that Vice President Saulos Chilima will be honored with a state funeral after he died in a plane crash along with eight other people.
President Lazarus Chakwera announced 21 days of national mourning on Tuesday, when the wreckage of the small military plane carrying Chilima and a former first lady was discovered in a mountainous area in the country's north.
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People walk in the street in Lilongwe, Malawi, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, following the death of Malawi's Vice President, Saulos Chilima, in a plane crash Monday. The Malawi government says that Chilima will be honored with a state funeral after he was killed along with eight other people in a plane crash. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)
A mourner is comforted in Lilongwe, Malawi, Wednesday , June 12, 2024, following the death of Malawi's Vice President, Saulos Chilima, in a plane crash Monday. The Malawi government says that Chilima will be honored with a state funeral after he was killed along with eight other people in a plane crash. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)
A mourner is comforted in Lilongwe, Malawi, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, following the death of Malawi's Vice President, Saulos Chilima, in a plane crash Monday. The Malawi government says that Chilima will be honored with a state funeral after he was killed along with eight other people in a plane crash. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)
A mourner lights a candle in Lilongwe, Malawi, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, following the death of Malawi's Vice President, Saulos Chilima, in a plane crash Monday. The Malawi government says that Chilima will be honored with a state funeral after he was killed along with eight other people in a plane crash. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)
A vendor sells newspapers in Lilongwe, Malawi, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, following the death of Malawi's Vice President, Saulos Chilima, in a plane crash Monday. The Malawi government says that Chilima will be honored with a state funeral after he was killed along with eight other people in a plane crash. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)
Mourners comfort one another in Lilongwe, Malawi, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, following the death of Malawi's Vice President, Saulos Chilima, in a plane crash on Monday. The Malawi government says that Chilima will be honored with a state funeral after he was killed along with eight other people in a plane crash. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)
A man reacts to the Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera's news in Lilongwe, Tuesday, June 11, 2024 that the Vice President and nine others had been killed in a plane crash. The wreckage of the military plane carrying Vice President Saulos Chilima was located in a mountainous area in the north of the country after a search that lasted more than a day. (AP Photo)
Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera, left, greets people in Lilongwe, Tuesday, June 11, 2024 where he made an announcement that the Vice President and nine others had been killed in a plane crash. The wreckage of the military plane carrying Vice President Saulos Chilima was located in a mountainous area in the north of the country after a search that lasted more than a day. (AP Photo)
Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera, left, greets people in Lilongwe, Tuesday, June 11, 2024 where he made an announcement that the Vice President and nine others had been killed in a plane crash. The wreckage of the military plane carrying Vice President Saulos Chilima was located in a mountainous area in the north of the country after a search that lasted more than a day. (AP Photo)
Mourners await the body of Vice President Saulos Chilima, at Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe, Malawi, Tuesday, June 11, 2024. The wreckage of the military plane carrying Vice President Chilima and nine others was located in a mountainous area in the north of the country after a search that lasted more than a day. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)
FILE - Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima,left, and his wife Mary disembark from a plane upon his return from South Korea in Lillongwe, Sunday, June 9, 2024. Malawi’s vice president and nine others have been killed in a plane crash, the country’s president said Tuesday. The wreckage of the military plane carrying Vice President Saulos Chilima was located in a mountainous area in the north of the country after a search that lasted more than a day. There were no survivors of the crash, Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera said. Chakwera made the announcement in a live address on state television. (AP Photo, File)
FILE - Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima, left, greets government officials upon his return from South Korea in Lillongwe, Sunday, June 9, 2024. Malawi’s vice president and nine others have been killed in a plane crash, the country’s president said Tuesday. The wreckage of the military plane carrying Vice President Saulos Chilima was located in a mountainous area in the north of the country after a search that lasted more than a day. There were no survivors of the crash, Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera said. Chakwera made the announcement in a live address on state television. (AP Photo, File)
Mourners await the body of Vice President Saulos Chilima, at Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe, Malawi, Tuesday, June 11, 2024. The wreckage of the military plane carrying Vice President Chilima and nine others was located in a mountainous area in the north of the country after a search that lasted more than a day. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)
Wife of Vice President Saulos Chilima, Mary Chilima, centre, is comforted by Malawi First Lady Monica Chakwera, left, at Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe, Malawi, Tuesday, June 11, 2024 as they await the body of the vice president and nine others killed in a plane crash. The wreckage of the military plane carrying Vice President Chilima was located in a mountainous area in the north of the country after a search that lasted more than a day. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)
Chilima was 51 and had been vice president since 2014, having served a first term in the role under former President Peter Mutharika.
Chakwera previously said there were 10 people on the plane, but the government now says nine were on board.
Everyone was killed on impact when the twin-propeller aircraft went down in a hilly, forested area in bad weather, the president said. The victims included former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri, the ex-wife of former Malawian President Bakili Muluzi. Six passengers and three military crew members were on board.
The plane was on a short flight from the capital, Lilongwe, to the northern city of Mzuzu for a funeral of a former government minister when it went missing Monday morning. The president said air traffic controllers had told the plane not to land in Mzuzu because of bad weather and poor visibility and to return to Lilongwe. Air traffic controllers then lost contact with the plane and it disappeared from radar.
Hundreds of soldiers, police officers and forest rangers searched for more than 24 hours before the wreckage was discovered in a forest plantation south of Mzuzu.
The remains of the victims were brought back to Lilongwe on a Zambian Air Force helicopter on Tuesday night.
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People walk in the street in Lilongwe, Malawi, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, following the death of Malawi's Vice President, Saulos Chilima, in a plane crash Monday. The Malawi government says that Chilima will be honored with a state funeral after he was killed along with eight other people in a plane crash. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)
A mourner is comforted in Lilongwe, Malawi, Wednesday , June 12, 2024, following the death of Malawi's Vice President, Saulos Chilima, in a plane crash Monday. The Malawi government says that Chilima will be honored with a state funeral after he was killed along with eight other people in a plane crash. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)
A mourner is comforted in Lilongwe, Malawi, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, following the death of Malawi's Vice President, Saulos Chilima, in a plane crash Monday. The Malawi government says that Chilima will be honored with a state funeral after he was killed along with eight other people in a plane crash. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)
A mourner lights a candle in Lilongwe, Malawi, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, following the death of Malawi's Vice President, Saulos Chilima, in a plane crash Monday. The Malawi government says that Chilima will be honored with a state funeral after he was killed along with eight other people in a plane crash. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)
A vendor sells newspapers in Lilongwe, Malawi, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, following the death of Malawi's Vice President, Saulos Chilima, in a plane crash Monday. The Malawi government says that Chilima will be honored with a state funeral after he was killed along with eight other people in a plane crash. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)
Mourners comfort one another in Lilongwe, Malawi, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, following the death of Malawi's Vice President, Saulos Chilima, in a plane crash on Monday. The Malawi government says that Chilima will be honored with a state funeral after he was killed along with eight other people in a plane crash. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)
A man reacts to the Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera's news in Lilongwe, Tuesday, June 11, 2024 that the Vice President and nine others had been killed in a plane crash. The wreckage of the military plane carrying Vice President Saulos Chilima was located in a mountainous area in the north of the country after a search that lasted more than a day. (AP Photo)
Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera, left, greets people in Lilongwe, Tuesday, June 11, 2024 where he made an announcement that the Vice President and nine others had been killed in a plane crash. The wreckage of the military plane carrying Vice President Saulos Chilima was located in a mountainous area in the north of the country after a search that lasted more than a day. (AP Photo)
Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera, left, greets people in Lilongwe, Tuesday, June 11, 2024 where he made an announcement that the Vice President and nine others had been killed in a plane crash. The wreckage of the military plane carrying Vice President Saulos Chilima was located in a mountainous area in the north of the country after a search that lasted more than a day. (AP Photo)
Mourners await the body of Vice President Saulos Chilima, at Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe, Malawi, Tuesday, June 11, 2024. The wreckage of the military plane carrying Vice President Chilima and nine others was located in a mountainous area in the north of the country after a search that lasted more than a day. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)
FILE - Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima,left, and his wife Mary disembark from a plane upon his return from South Korea in Lillongwe, Sunday, June 9, 2024. Malawi’s vice president and nine others have been killed in a plane crash, the country’s president said Tuesday. The wreckage of the military plane carrying Vice President Saulos Chilima was located in a mountainous area in the north of the country after a search that lasted more than a day. There were no survivors of the crash, Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera said. Chakwera made the announcement in a live address on state television. (AP Photo, File)
FILE - Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima, left, greets government officials upon his return from South Korea in Lillongwe, Sunday, June 9, 2024. Malawi’s vice president and nine others have been killed in a plane crash, the country’s president said Tuesday. The wreckage of the military plane carrying Vice President Saulos Chilima was located in a mountainous area in the north of the country after a search that lasted more than a day. There were no survivors of the crash, Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera said. Chakwera made the announcement in a live address on state television. (AP Photo, File)
Mourners await the body of Vice President Saulos Chilima, at Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe, Malawi, Tuesday, June 11, 2024. The wreckage of the military plane carrying Vice President Chilima and nine others was located in a mountainous area in the north of the country after a search that lasted more than a day. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)
Wife of Vice President Saulos Chilima, Mary Chilima, centre, is comforted by Malawi First Lady Monica Chakwera, left, at Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe, Malawi, Tuesday, June 11, 2024 as they await the body of the vice president and nine others killed in a plane crash. The wreckage of the military plane carrying Vice President Chilima was located in a mountainous area in the north of the country after a search that lasted more than a day. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)
