Aircraft carrying Malawi vice president missing, presidency says

Chilima was aboard a Malawi Defence Force aircraft that left the capital Lilongwe

Malawi's Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima arrives at a polling station in Lilongwe, Malawi May 21, 2019 in this still image obtained from REUTERS TV video. REUTERS TV/Eldson Chagara/via REUTERS/File

An aircraft carrying Malawi's Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima and nine others has gone missing, Malawi's presidency said on Monday.

"All efforts by aviation authorities to make contact with the Aircraft since it went off the radar have failed thus far," Malawi's Office of the President and Cabinet said in a statement.

Chilima, 51, was aboard a Malawi Defence Force aircraft that left the capital Lilongwe at 0917 local time (0717 GMT), the statement said, adding that search and rescue operations were ongoing.