By A Correspondent

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s private jet was forced into an emergency crash landing in Egypt after developing a serious mid-air technical fault during his return flight from Eastern Europe.

All passengers and crew members escaped unharmed, ZimEye sources confirmed on Friday.

The Dubai-registered aircraft, reportedly a long-range VIP-configured Boeing business jet, began experiencing a rapid cabin pressure drop and a failure in its navigation system shortly after exiting Belarusian airspace. According to sources in Cairo, emergency protocols were swiftly activated, and the pilot issued a distress call.

Egyptian authorities promptly cleared an emergency landing route at Borg El Arab Airport in Alexandria.

“Within seven minutes of declaring distress, the aircraft began its descent and managed a rough but controlled landing,” said an official with Egypt’s Civil Aviation Authority.

The aircraft sustained moderate damage to its undercarriage and hydraulic systems but remained structurally intact. Technical teams from Dubai and Egypt began immediate diagnostics on the aircraft.

Despite the scare, President Mnangagwa later continued his journey and has since returned home safely.

He was received at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport by Vice President General (Retired) Dr Constantino Chiwenga, cabinet ministers, senior government officials, and service chiefs.

During his Eastern European tour, Mnangagwa attended the 80th Victory Day Celebrations in Russia and held bilateral talks with President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders agreed to deepen cooperation between their nations.

He then proceeded to Belarus for a four-day official visit, during which eight agreements were signed to strengthen collaboration across various sectors.