Four people, including a pregnant woman, died after a vehicle in the convoy carrying the body of Malawi’s late vice-president, Saulos Chilima, hit mourners, police said.
Twelve other people were injured in the incident on Sunday night and were being treated in hospital.
Clashes ensued between local people, police and soldiers escorting the late vice-president’s funeral convoy from the capital, Lilongwe, to his home village for the burial.
Chilima died in a plane crash a week ago and is expected to be buried this Monday in his home district, Ntcheu, around 180 kilometers south of the capital.
Thousands of people lined the streets to see the coffin as it was carried for burial on Sunday.
As the procession passed through areas close to Mr. Chilima’s house, some people began throwing stones at vehicles and government officials.
In the commotion, a vehicle left the road, hitting a group of mourners, killing four of them, according to a police statement.
Chilima’s UTM party spokesman told AFP news agency there was some tension along the route as mourners demanded the procession stop so they could see the coffin.
“In Dedza, people blocked the road and demanded to see the coffin,” said Felix Njawala.
The convoy continued after the mourners were pacified.
The party condemned the acts of violence and asked its supporters to refrain from any violence or destruction.
‘We cannot tolerate violence, Dr Chilima advocated peace, let’s do the same,’ state broadcaster MBC said, quoting UTM secretary-general Patricia Kaliati.
Chilima, 51, died last Monday, along with eight other people, when a military plane on an internal flight crashed in a forest in the north of the country due to bad weather.
On Sunday, tens of thousands of Malawians attended a funeral at the national stadium to pay homage to him.
Mr Chilima had a special connection with the people, especially the youth, and was considered a breath of fresh air in Malawian politics.
His party formed a coalition government with that of President Lazarus Chakwera after contesting and winning the 2020 elections as alliance partners.
Some of Chilima’s supporters criticized the government’s handling of the events leading to his death and loudly booed the president when he delivered his eulogy at the funeral on Sunday.
Mr Chakwera promised a full investigation into the cause of the accident.
Security was beefed up across Ntcheu district ahead of Mr Chilima’s burial.
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