At least four people reportedly died and 12 others were injured when a vehicle from the convoy during the funeral procession for Malawi’s late vice president, Saulos Chilima, tragically collided with mourners in a village on Sunday night. According to AFP, police disclosed this in a statement.
The incident occurred in Ntcheu, a village in central Malawi, as part of a motorcade carrying Chilima’s body. Chilima had died in a recent plane crash, which shocked the nation.
The convoy, consisting of military, police, and civilian vehicles, was traveling to Nsipe, Chilima’s hometown, 180 kilometers (110 miles) south of Lilongwe, the capital. The burial is scheduled for Monday, which has been designated a public holiday.
“Due to the impact, the two female and two male pedestrians sustained severe head injuries and multiple fractures and died whilst receiving treatment,” the police statement noted. A police spokesman, Peter Kalaya, informed AFP that 12 additional individuals had been injured.
Thousands had gathered along the streets to catch a glimpse of the vice president’s coffin. An eyewitness described to AFP how the vehicle veered into the group while attempting to maneuver through the agitated crowd. A spokesman for Chilima’s party, Felix Njawala, recounted instances of tension along the route where mourners demanded the procession halt for them to view the coffin.
“In Dedza, people blocked the road and demanded to see the coffin,” he told AFP. “Only when the convoy stopped were people pacified and the convoy was able to proceed,” he added, noting that some individuals even threw stones at the convoy. While acknowledging supporters’ concerns, he urged them to maintain peace.
Chilima and eight others had perished on Monday when a military aircraft, on an internal flight, crashed into Malawi’s Chikangawa Forest amidst dense fog. The wreckage was discovered on Tuesday. Chilima’s party, the United Transformation Movement, had allied with President Lazarus Chakwera’s Malawi Congress Party in the 2020 presidential election, running on a joint ticket.
During a public viewing of the body at a stadium in Lilongwe on Sunday afternoon, President Chakwera advocated for an independent investigation into the crash. “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,” he stated. The plane, a Malawi Army Air Wing Dornier 228-202K, had disappeared after failing to land in Mzuzu due to adverse weather conditions and was directed to return to the capital.
The party has called for an investigation into the plane crash, reflecting widespread demand for clarity and justice regarding the tragic loss.
