Tragedy struck at the funeral procession for Malawi’s late Vice President Saulos Chilima on Sunday night when a vehicle from the convoy rammed into mourners, killing four people and injuring 12. The procession was transporting Chilima’s body to his home village, Nsipe, for burial on Monday, declared a public holiday.
The incident occurred in Ntcheu village as the convoy, comprising military, police, and civilian vehicles, was en route from Lilongwe, 180 kilometers south. A police statement confirmed that “two female and two male pedestrians sustained severe head injuries and multiple fractures and died whilst receiving treatment.”
Police spokesman Peter Kalaya detailed the aftermath: “Twelve more people were injured in the accident.” Eyewitnesses described the vehicle’s attempt to maneuver away from a volatile crowd before it plunged into the group.
Felix Njawala, spokesperson for Chilima’s party, the United Transformation Movement (UTM), noted tensions along the route as mourners demanded to see the Vice President’s coffin. “In Dedza, people blocked the road and demanded to see the coffin,” Njawala told AFP. “Only when the convoy stopped were people pacified, and the convoy was able to proceed.” He also mentioned that stones were thrown at the convoy in some instances.
Chilima, who tragically died in a plane crash earlier in the week along with eight others, was the Vice President of Malawi. His plane, a Malawi Army Air Wing Dornier 228-202K, crashed into Chikangawa Forest due to dense fog. President Lazarus Chakwera has called for an independent inquiry into the crash during a public viewing of Chilima’s body in Lilongwe on Sunday.
“People want to know how the plane carrying the Vice President and the others went missing and crashed. I too want to know what happened,” Chakwera stated, echoing the public’s demand for clarity on the incident. The wreckage was discovered on Tuesday after the aircraft disappeared while attempting to return to the capital due to poor weather conditions.
