Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera has confirmed the death of vice president Saulos Chilima and 9 others.

Vice president Saulos Chilima and nine others were on board a military aircraft that went missing on Monday.

Mr Chilima was on his way to represent the government at the burial of former cabinet minister Ralph Kasambara, who died three days ago.

The aircraft left Lilongwe, the capital, on Monday at 9.17 am but was unable to land at Mzuzu airport as scheduled at 10.02 am due to poor visibility.

It was ordered to return to the capital but went off the radar and aviation authorities could not make contact with it.

President Lazarus Chakwera ordered regional and national forces to conduct an "immediate search and rescue operation to locate the whereabouts of the aircraft.

Addressing the press today, the president said the plane was found in a mountainous part of the Chikangawa Forest.

“I’m deeply saddened, I’m sorry to inform you all that it has turn out to be a terrible tragedy. The search and rescue team has found the aircraft near a hill... they have found it completely destroyed with no survivors."

May their souls rest in peace.