Five tourists dead in Malawi crash

The Cessna was heading from the capital Lilongwe to Rumchi in the north, an area of mountains, plains and abundant wildlife, said Raymond Phesele, the government's chief aviation officer.

He said authorities were investigating the cause of the accident, which reportedly happened in bad weather.

One woman was among the dead, he said. Authorities did not identify the victims pending notification of relatives. The plane was operated by a company called Nyika Safaris.

Malawi, a poor southern African, has a small tourist industry, mainly concentrated in the scenic north of the country.