A pregnant woman was among four people who were fatally struck by a car that was attempting to avoid a convoy carrying the body of Malawi’s vice-president Saulos Chilima, per BBC.
The incident is said to have occurred on Sunday night. Twelve other people also sustained injuries and were transported to the hospital for treatment. The fatal incident reportedly occurred after police and soldiers involved in conveying Chilima’s body clashed with local people when he was being transported from the capital, Lilongwe, to his village for burial.
Thousands of people had gathered on the streets to view the deceased vice president’s coffin when the incident happened. Chilima’s burial was also marred by other incidents including President Lazarus Chakwera being criticized by some mourners. Besides that, some people pelted stones at government vehicles and officials as the convoy drove around locations near Chilima’s home.
In an interview with AFP, Felix Njawala, the spokesperson for Chilima’s UTM party, said tensions arose during a point of the procession as mourners demanded that the convoy stop to enable them to view the late vice-president’s coffin.
“In Dedza, people blocked the road and demanded to see the coffin,” Njawala said. The convoy was eventually allowed to move after an agreement was reached with the mourners.
As previously reported by Face2Face Africa, Chilima died after a military aircraft he was flying in crashed in a forest in the north of the country. The 51-year-old leader was among 10 people who were killed when the small military plane crashed, the president said on June 11.
The aircraft left Lilongwe, the capital, at 09:17 am (0717 GMT) on Monday, June 10, but suddenly went “off the radar”, leading to a search for survivors. The plane’s wreckage was found in a mountainous area in the north of the country after a search that lasted more than a day.
“I’m deeply saddened, I’m sorry to inform you all that it has turned out to be a terrible tragedy. The search and rescue team has found the aircraft near a hill,” President Chakwera said during an address to the nation. “They have found it completely destroyed with no survivors.”
The military plane also carried former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri, the ex-wife of former President Bakili Muluzi). Vice President Chilima was on his way to represent the government at the burial of former cabinet minister Ralph Kasambara.
Chilima had been vice president for 10 years, previously under former President Peter Mutharika, BBC reported. Before he became vice president, he was the managing director of the country’s leading telecommunications firm Airtel Malawi. He was the first Malawian to head the organization.
Chilima leaves behind his wife Mary and two children.
