A motorcyclist died and his companion was seriously injured when their motorcycle, which police say was carrying containers of fuel, crashed and caught fire at Kanengo in Lilongwe.
The crash occurred near Tobacco Control Commission offices along Lilongwe-Kasungu M1 section during morning rush hour, causing traffic disruption.
An angry crowd pelted a police vehicle with stones and attempted to block the road with burning tyres.
Riot police fired teargas to disperse the crowd and restore order.
Central West Region Police spokesperson Foster Benjamin said the motorcyclist was transporting fuel illegally when he hit a pedestrian.
He said the fuel containers exploded on impact.
“The fire killed the rider at the scene, while his companion sustained serious burns and was rushed to hospital for treatment,” he said.
Eyewitnesses, however, claimed the motorcyclist was trying to evade police officers and collided with a Toyota Land Cruiser that was allegedly trying to block his way. Police did not confirm this account.
Police identified the deceased as Jefinala Nyambitani. Benjamin said investigations were underway to establish the identity of the injured passenger, whom witnesses identified only as Ben.
Benjamin said the injured man was taken to Daeyang Hospital before being referred to Kamuzu Central Hospital.
His condition could not be immediately established.
Benjamin said police fired tear gas to prevent criminal elements from taking advantage of the chaos.
He cautioned motorcycle taxi operators, commonly known as kabaza, against vending fuel, saying the product should be bought and sold at designated service stations.
The incident comes amid persistent fuel shortages that have led to long queues.
Last week, Lilongwe City Council announced a coordinated crackdown on illegal fuel trading, hoarding, disorderly queues and unregistered motorcycles.
The councils chief executive officer Clement Stambuli said the measures followed complaints from civil society organisations about queue-jumping, bribery and resale of fuel at inflated prices.
Malawi Civil Society-Led Black Economic Empowerment Movement national coordinator Fryson Chodzi described the death as tragic, but said it should not derail law enforcement.
The Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority has repeatedly warned that unauthorised storage, transportation, distribution and sale of fuel is an offence that can lead to arrest and prosecution.
