British tourists die in plane crash

The Canadian pilot of the Cessna, which was travelling from the capital Lilongwe to Rumchi in the north of the African country last night, was also killed.

Raymond Phesele, the government's chief aviation officer, said one woman was among the dead.

An investigation has been launched into the cause of the incident, which reportedly happened in bad weather.

The plane is understood to have been operated by a company called Nyika Safaris.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We were informed by the Malawian authorities that a plane crashed in Malawi and that there were British fatalities. We are still establishing the facts with the authorities and informing the next of kin."

He added that no further details would be released at this stage.

Malawi is a poor country in southern Africa which has a small tourist industry, mainly concentrated in the scenic north.

According to its website, Nyika Safari Company operates in two reserves in the remote north - Nyika National Park and Vwaza Marsh Game Reserve.

"Covering a total of 4120 square kilometres these two reserves contain the finest scenery, wildlife and wilderness areas to be found in the country," it says.