A Malawian military helicopter carrying the country's vice-president and eight other people disappeared from radar on Monday, the country's government announced.
Saulos Chilima was due to attend the funeral of Ralph Kasambara, a former Minister of Justice who died on Friday. The helicopter had taken off from the capital Lilongwe before going missing in the north of the country.
Following the incident, President Lazarus Chakwera cancelled a planned trip abroad and ordered regional and national agencies to intensify the search for the missing aircraft, according to a statement from the President's office.
The atmosphere has darkened in this southern African country, where the public is waiting for news of the vice-president.
Several prominent figures have perished in helicopter accidents in recent years, including Iranian President Ebrahim Raissi, who died in a similar accident last month.
Last April, General Francis Ogolla, head of the Kenyan army, was also killed in a helicopter accident.
English 
French 
Spanish 
German 