Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat on Tuesday extended condolences over the deaths of Malawi's vice president and nine others.

Malawian Vice President Saulos Chilima and nine other individuals, who were on board a military aircraft, have been confirmed deceased after the plane went missing Monday morning, the country's President Lazarus Chakwera said Tuesday.

The AU Commission chairperson "was deeply saddened" to learn that the search and rescue mission for the missing aircraft carrying Saulos and nine other occupants found no survivors, according to an AU statement.

Faki extended his "most sincere condolences to the bereaved families, and the government and the people of Malawi over this great national loss." He reiterated the AU's strong solidarity with Chakwera, the government and the people of Malawi during this difficult time, the statement said.

The vice president was traveling to the funeral of the country's former Attorney General and Minister of Justice Ralph Kasambara, who was found dead at a lodge in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, Friday.

The aircraft, a Donier 228 belonging to the Malawi Defense Force, failed to make its scheduled landing at Mzuzu Airport Monday in northern Malawi, according to the country's Secretary to the President and Cabinet Colleen Zamba.

The aircraft returned due to bad weather, heading to Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe before it went off the radar. A search and rescue operation was launched by security agencies in the afternoon around the Chikangawa Forest where it was believed to have been lost. ∎