Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera declared on Tuesday a three-week period of nationwide mourning in connection with the deaths of Malawian Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima and eight other officials in a plane crash.
"His Excellency Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of the Republic of Malawi, has directed that the nation observe a period of twenty-one (21) days of mourning commencing today, Tuesday June 11, 2024, to Monday, July, 1, 2024 in honor of the late Right Honorable Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima, Vice President of the Republic of Malawi, and eight officials whom we lost in a tragic plane crash on Monday, June10, 2024 near Chikangawa, Mzimba," the Malawian government said in a statement.
Chakwera also directed that all flags be lowered for the duration of the mourning period, the statement read.
The bodies of the crash victims have been transported to the country's capital, Lilongwe, the Malawian president said on social media.