Johannesburg,South Africa

The military helicopter that was traveling Vice-President of Malawi,Dr Saulos Klaus Chilima went missing on Monday morning on its way to Mzuzu International Airport.

Chilima and his entourage boarded the military helicopter from Lilongwe at 09:17 AM and was expected to land on Mzuzu International Airport at 10:02 AM but that did not happen.

On Monday afternoon,the Office of the President of Malawi has informed the general public that the Vice-President and nine other people were missing and the helicopter that they were using is untraceable.

He was onboard with these people Lukas Kapheni,Chisomo Chimaneni,Gloria Mtukule,Shanil Dzimbiri,Dan Kanyemba,Abdul Lapukeni,Colonel Sambalopa,Major Selemani and Major Aidin.

Collen Zamba,Secretary to the President and Cabinet said all efforts by aviation authorities to make contact with the aircraft since it went off the radar have failed thus far.As such,the Commander of the Malawi Defense Force,General Valentino Phiri,has since informed His Excellency Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera of the incident and the President has since cancelled his scheduled departure for the Bahamas and ordered all regional and national agencies to conduct an immediate search and rescue operation to locate the whereabouts of the aircraft.

The local media has been reporting that the search been focusing in the Chikangawa Forest which is approximately 70 km away from Mzuzu which is situated in Northern Malawi and that where the helicopter went off-radar.

On Tuesday morning,the U.S Embassy in Lilongwe has promised to assist the Government of Malawi to locate the 35-year-old missing helicopter.

"The U.S Embassy Lilongwe is deeply concerned by the news that the plane carrying Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima and nine others went missing yesterday morning.

With search and rescue operations underway,we are working with the Government of Malawi to offer all available assistance including the use of a U.S. Department of Defense C-12 aircraft.We join President Chakwera in his prayers for the well-being of all those on board the Vice President's plane,"said U.S. Embassy Lilongwe.