AP News reports that the military plane carrying Malawi’s Vice President Saulos Chilima has gone missing, failing to arrive at Mzuzu International Airport.

A large search and rescue effort has been launched after a military plane carrying the vice president of Malawi and nine other people went missing.

According to AP News Flight VP Saulos Chilima failed to arrive at Mzuzu International Airport, some 230 miles north of the capital, Lilongwe.

The government released a statement saying, “So far, all efforts by aviation authorities to make contact with the Aircraft since it went off the radar have failed.”

This is the complete statement:

Malawi Elects, an X user, stated, “This Dornier 228 as used by the VP today, was purchased from Germany as a transport plane for the MDF some decades back and was long overdue for retirement. Two years ago, the MDF took delivery of two Xian MA600s.” 

Recently, GreatGameIndia reported that Reuters, as well as Iranian media, have confirmed that a senior official has informed that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who was involved in a helicopter crash, has passed away.