Passengers terrified as plane fail to land at Malawi’s Chileka Airpot

High winds forced aborted plane landings at Malawi’s  Chileka International Airport, leaving passengers ‘terrified’.

Some planes were forced to abort landing attempts before being diverted to Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) in Lilongwe

KIA commandant Donnie Chimtengo said there is bad weather right overhead the Chileka airport “ which is causing visibility difficulties.”

Chitengo said  Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines and South African Airways,  “which were supposed to land at Chileka Airport, are here [in Lilongwe.”

Director of Metrological Services and Climate Change Management Elina Kululanga said  the weather forecast shows that the rains will continue to persist mostly in the North and Centre, but will slightly drop in the South.

Incessant rainfall has continued to wreak havoc across the country and at least 48 people have been killed.

Thousands of homes have been destroyed and large swathes of crops washed away.

Malawi’s Department of Disaster Management Affairs said the number of those who had been displaced as a result of the flooding had risen to some 45,000 people – or 7,500 households – in 14 districts.

So far, rescue efforts have been hampered by funding shortfalls, given that an initial budget of $200,000 has been exhausted.

Malawi’s rainy season begins in October and ends in April.

Since the rains began last year, heavy downpours have been common in most parts of the country.