The Malawi government on Saturday via state-run radio and television under the national broadcasting corporation, confirmed that Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika died of a heart attack.

But the brief announcement did not mention the exact time of Mutharika's death and details of medical treatment on him.

On Friday, an anonymous health official at the Kamuzu Central Hospital, where Mutharika was rushed to, told Xinhua the doctors failed to resuscitate him when he suffered a cardiac arrest earlier Thursday.

The 78-year-old president died at around 4 p.m., according to the official.

Mutharika, born in February 1934, received education in India and the United States in youth. He also had long term working experience as United Nations and World Bank official. Mutharika first came to power in a 2004 election, and was overwhelmingly re- elected in 2009. According to Malawi's Constitution, the vice president, currently Joyce Banda, shall take over when the president is too ill to serve.

However, six government officials, including ministers of information, health, local government and youth, declared late Friday that it is illegal for the vice president to take over the reigns of leadership in any event that President Mutharika is incapacitated or deceased as per the constitutional requirement citing the fact that she formed her own party as the reason.

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