Lilongwe, Malawi - June 11, 2024

Storyline:
A plane crash that killed Malawi's vice president and nine other people saddened U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the country.

An air force aircraft carrying Malawi's Vice-President Saulos Chilima and nine others went missing on Monday. The plane was heading to Mzuzu International Airport from the country's capital Lilongwe before the crash took place, according to a statement from the office of Malawi's president.

On the following day, President Lazarus Chakwera confirmed the death of Chilima and the nine other individuals in a national address, saying that rescuers found the wreckage of the military plane, and all people on board were found dead.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was very saddened to hear of this plane crash which claimed the life of the vice president of Malawi and many other senior Malawian officials, said Farhan Haq, the U.N. chief's deputy spokesman, in a daily briefing.

His office offers condolences to their families and stands with the people of Malawi at this sad time, Haq said.

Chilima was traveling to a funeral, and the plane crashed in bad weather in the Chikangawa Forest Reserve in Mzuzu.

Many people in Malawi were still hoping for the vice president, passengers and crew to be found alive.

Chilima was the country's vice president since June 2020, when he won majority alongside the then presidential candidate Lazarus Chakwera.

Chilima was also the founder of the United Transformation Movement and previously held many senior positions in multinational companies, which made him a seasoned and respected leader in Malawi, whose loss many people still can not believe and are not taking well.

For now, the Malawi Defense Force has been tasked with recovering the bodies of Chilima, passengers, and crew so that they can have a proper and dignified burial.

Shotlist:
Lilongwe, Malawi - June 11, 2024:
1. Various of newspaper showing Vice-President Saulos Chilima in plane crash;
2. Various of locals crying;
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Masankho Banda, founding member, United Transformation Movement (starting with shot 2):
"Many of us hardly slept. And when we woke up this morning, we were still holding a belief. So to see the pictures and hear the news is just very devastating.";
4. Various of residents crying; in gathering;
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Zara Sikiya, resident (starting with shot 4/ending with shot 6):
"We were still having hopes, as they were still searching, so we were addressed by the president that the plane has been found but no survivors. So this is not the news we were expecting.";
6. Various of resident praying;
FILE: U.N. Headquarters, New York City - Date Unknown
7. Various of U.N. Logo, U.N. flag.

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