Malawian president institutes inquiry into VP's plane crash

26/10/2024 17:16

        Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera has instituted a local commission to probe the plane crash that killed former Vice President Saulos Chilima in June.
        
        Secretary to the President and Cabinet Colleen Zamba said on Friday that the commission is expected to uncover the causes of the accident. The appointed commission comprises members from the judiciary, the clergy, traditional leaders, and civil society organizations.
        
        The vice president and eight others died when a military aircraft crashed in northern Malawi.
        
        A preliminary report by the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation pointed at "adverse weather conditions as a significant cause of the accident."
        
        However, the report revealed that the plane "lacked both a cockpit voice recorder and a flight data recorder" and that "the aircraft's emergency locator transmitter was non-functional due to its battery having expired in 2004."
        
        The report's release sparked widespread criticism from Malawian society and calls to reinvestigate the accident.