A fuel vendor has been killed after his motorcycle, packed with fuel, exploded into a fireball during a police chase in Kanengo, Lilongwe, leaving his friend with horrific burns.
Yamikani Jefinala was pursued by officers through the streets before eyewitnesses say he ploughed into a police vehicle that had been trying to block his path.
The bike, loaded with four 20-litre containers of fuel, burst into flames and engulfed him instantly. His friend, named only as Ben, was also badly burned and rushed to hospital.
Neighbours watched in shock as the wreckage burned. One witness, Jailosi Tchaka, who grew up in the same village as Jefinala, in Mkoko, Namitete, said the young man had only just started out in the trade.
“Yamikani had only started this fuel business three days ago. We come from the same village, Mkoko, in Namitete,” said Tchaka, his voice heavy with grief.
The tragedy sparked fury across Kanengo. Angry crowds blocked the M1 Road in protest, and tensions boiled over until police fired teargas to disperse the mob and restore order.
Kanengo Police spokesperson Foster Benjamin confirmed the dreadful toll.
“Following the crash, the motorcycle, which was carrying four containers full of fuel, exploded. Due to the fire that engulfed the rider, he perished right there on the spot while a friend, who was with him, sustained serious burns and is receiving hospital treatment,” he said.
Benjamin also confirmed that teargas had been deployed to stop the crowd from descending into criminal disorder.
He has now issued a stark warning to motorcycle taxi drivers, urging them to stay away from fuel vending.
Fuel, he insisted, should be bought and sold only at licensed filling stations, not carried around and traded on the roadside.
The deadly blaze comes as Lilongwe City Council launches a crackdown on illegal fuel sales, hoarding and other abuses that have fed the country’s persistent fuel shortages.
Authorities say unlicensed trading puts lives at risk, and this tragedy in Kanengo is a grim reminder of just how deadly that danger can be.
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