Tragedy struck on Sunday night when a vehicle in the funeral procession of Malawi’s late Vice President Saulos Chilima crashed into a crowd of mourners in Ntcheu, a village in central Malawi.

The incident resulted in the deaths of four people and injuries to 12 others.

The vehicle, part of a motorcade carrying Chilima’s body to his home village of Nsipe, 180 kilometers south of Lilongwe, lost control and veered off the road, striking the crowd.

According to police, the impact was severe, causing two female and two male pedestrians to sustain severe head injuries and multiple fractures.

An eyewitness reported that the vehicle attempted to maneuver away from the volatile crowd before crashing into the group.

Felix Njawala, spokesman for Chilima’s party, acknowledged that there was tension along the route as mourners demanded that the procession stop so they could see the coffin.

In some cases, people threw stones at the convoy.

Njawala called on party supporters to maintain peace, saying that while there were questions about the accident, it was important to prioritize calm and respect for the bereaved family.

The party itself has demanded an investigation into the plane crash that killed Chilima and eight others on Monday.

President Lazarus Chakwera has also called for an independent investigation into the accident.

During a public viewing of Chilima’s body at a stadium in Lilongwe on Sunday afternoon, he said, “People want to know how the plane carrying the Vice President and others went missing and crashed.

I too want to know what happened.

“The plane, a Malawi Army Air Wing Dornier 228-202K, disappeared after failing to land in Mzuzu due to bad weather and was instructed to return to Lilongwe.

The wreckage was found on Tuesday.