Leaders who've died in aircraft over the years

This past week, the people of Malawi experienced a terrible loss after their vice president Saulos Chilima lost his life in a terrible plane crash.

The 51-year-old Chilima and nine other people were confirmed dead on Monday 10th June 2024, after the plane they were in went missing after it crashed in bad weather in a mountainous region in the north of the country.

But Malawi isn't the only country that has witnessed the loss of a leader in a plane/helicopter crash.

Some of the others are below:

Ebrahim Raisi

Ebarahim Raisi who was Iran’s President was confirmed dead late last month after the helicopter he was in crashed in a mountainous terrain near the Azerbaijan border.

President Raisi also died alongside Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian as they were heading to an inauguration of the Qiz Qalasi and Khoda Afarin dam, a joint hydroelectric power project.

“With deep sorrow and regret, I have received the bitter news of the martyrdom of the people’s President, the competent and hard-working Hajj Sayyed Ebrahim Raisi and his esteemed entourage is dead,” Iran’s Supreme leader said.

Ebrahim Raisi died at the age of 63 years.

George Saitoti

The former Internal Security Minister George Saitoti died on Sunday 10th June 2012 at around 9:00 am when a Eurocopter AS350 helicopter carrying him crashed.

The plane belonging to the Kenya Police Air Wing registration 5Y-CDT, carrying him and his assistant Joshua Orwa Ojode crashed in Kibiku area of Ngong forest killing them and four others.

He died at the age of 66 years.