Soldiers are conducting a search in the mountainous forests of northern Malawi after a plane carrying Vice-President Saulos Chilima and nine others went missing on Monday.

The aircraft, which also carried former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri and eight others on board, departed from the capital, Lilongwe, at 9:17 am and was scheduled to land 45 minutes later at Mzuzu International Airport, approximately 370 km (230 miles) north.

In a live address on state TV channel MBC on Monday night, President Lazarus Chakwera stated that air traffic control in Mzuzu had advised the pilots not to attempt a landing due to bad weather and poor visibility, and instructed them to turn around.

He said that air traffic control lost contact with the aircraft, which disappeared from radar shortly thereafter.

"I know this is a heartbreaking situation. I know we are all frightened and concerned. I too am concerned," Chakwera said. "But I want to assure you that I am sparing no available resource to find that plane. And I am holding on to every fiber of hope that we will find survivors."

He added that the search would continue overnight, with authorities using telecommunications towers to pinpoint the plane's last known position within a 10 km (six miles) radius of one of the plantations surrounding Mzuzu, an area dominated by the Viphya mountain range.

"I have given strict orders that the operation should continue until the plane is found," Chakwera said.

 The incident prompted the president to cancel a scheduled visit to the Bahamas.

Dive deeper

Chilima, 51, was set to attend the funeral of Ralph Kasambara, a former minister of justice and attorney general, in the village of Chijere, east of Mzuzu. Kasambara, 55, was discovered dead after suffering heart failure last Friday, according to a government Facebook post.

Malawi is currently experiencing heavy rains in some regions, particularly in the North.

Chilima has served as the vice president of the southern African country since 2014. Before his vice-presidency, he led the mobile network Airtel Malawi and worked at international companies as noted on his government profile.

Chilima is married with two children and holds a PhD in knowledge management from the University of Bolton, according to the government website.