Three perish in road accident
Two illegal immigrants and a Malawian driver have died in a road accident after they tried to beat a security check at Jenda Road Block in Mzimba District.
Northern Region Police spokesperson Maurice Chapola on Wednesday identified the driver as Albert Mwitha. The illegal immigrants have just been identified as Ethiopians.
The victims were travelling in a minibus, a Nissan Vanette registration no KK6118, and were in the company of other immigrants in two other vehicles.
They were allegedly coming from Mzuzu heading to Lilongwe on Tuesday, but police are yet to establish how many people were on board and the destination.
Upon reaching Jenda Trading Centre, Mwitha allegedly diverted the vehicle from the main road to beat a police checkpoint with the hope of rejoining the road soon after a Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) barrier.
However, as they approached the re-connection point, they became afraid of joining the M1 Road after seeing MRA officials.
In the course of escaping, Mwitha allegedly lost control of the vehicle and it swerved off the road, hitting an embankment.
“The driver and two Ethiopians died on the spot while six other Ethiopians sustained minor injuries and were treated at Mzimba District Hospital,”said Chapola.
Police have since called on the general public to avoid aiding illegal entry of immigrants, saying such people pose a threat to the country’s security.
