By Brenda Kayo:
Colrerd Nkosi, a resident of Kasangazi Village near Nthungwa Forest in Nkhata Bay District, Thursday told the Ad hoc Committee that is investigating the plane crash that killed the-then vice president Saulos Chilima and eight others that he saw the aircraft from his garden on the morning of the accident.
“I saw the aircraft from my garden on the morning of June 10, 2024. It was making a loud noise and circling around the area before disappearing from my sight,” Nkosi said.
Nkosi said, later in the afternoon, he came across social media reports indicating that the aircraft carrying Chilima had gone missing.
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He said the reports sparked concern among local residents, who later joined efforts to locate the missing aircraft.
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Nkosi further told the committee that when the search for the plane began, local residents continued searching in another part of the forest after the authorities allegedly suspended the search operation.
He said he was among the people who helped locate the crash site, but expressed concern that search and rescue teams did not immediately follow information provided by the community.
According to Nkosi, he and other residents advised the search teams about the possible whereabouts of the aircraft, but officials insisted on continuing the search in another area.
He said the wreckage was eventually found at Nthungwa.
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He said upon reaching the actual crash site, security officers found some of the bodies outside the aircraft.
The officers then searched for tools to open the wreckage and retrieve the remaining bodies, according to Nkosi.
Nkosi expressed concern over what he described as delays in locating the aircraft and recovering the victims, saying political differences may have contributed to the situation.
“I think we could have found these people on the same day of the accident,” he said.
The aircraft crashed in Chikangawa Forest on June 10, 2024, killing everyone on board.
The accident triggered a major search operation involving the Malawi Defence Force, police, local residents and other teams.
The Ad-hoc Committee is examining the circumstances surrounding the crash, including the events leading to the accident, the search and rescue operation, and the recovery of the victims.
