President Chakwera was clinging to the hope of finding survivors after a plane carrying 10 people went missing during bad weather.

Malawian soldiers were still searching in the forest near the northern town of Mzuzu late on Monday night for the aircraft carrying the country's Vice-President Saulos Chilima which disappeared off the radar during bad weather in the morning.

President Lazarus Chakwera addressed his nation on the public broadcaster late on Monday.

"I am sparing no available resources to find that plane, and I am holding on to every fibre of hope that we will find survivors," he said.

Chakwera also named the other nine people on board. They included former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri, the ex-wife of former president Bakili Muluzi, as well as five aides to Chilima and three air crew.

Chakwera said the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) had established by 3pm on Monday using signals from telecommunication towers in the area that the plane was located somewhere within a 10km radius of Raiply. This had become the focus for the MDF search and rescue operation.

The president said that neighbouring countries as well as the US, UK, Norway and Israel had all offered support, including the use of specialised technologies that would help find the plane sooner.

Chakwera said that at 7.05am on Monday, MDF Aircraft Number MAF...