A man identified as Peter Alex, 28, has died while his father sustained serious injuries following a road accident near Mtata Bridge along the Dowa-Dzaleka Road on Tuesday night in Dowa District.
Dowa Police Station Public Relations Officer, Sub Inspector Alice Sitima, has confirmed the accident, which involved a Toyota Bongo minibus, registration number MC 10064, driven by Ruben Kadzala, and an unregistered motorcycle ridden by Peter Alex, who was carrying his father as a pillion passenger with a bottle of petrol.
Sitima said the minibus was travelling from Dzaleka towards Dowa Turn-off with several passengers on board.
She added that upon passing Mtata Bridge, the driver observed the motorcycle approaching in the opposite direction without lights.
“In an attempt to avoid a head-on collision, he swerved to the right, while the cyclist also pulled to his left. Despite these manoeuvres, the two collided,” she explained.
The impact caused the petrol bottle to explode, igniting a fire. The rider, Peter Alex, sustained severe burn injuries and was rushed to Dowa District Hospital before being referred to Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, where he died while receiving treatment. His father sustained minor burns, while the driver and all passengers escaped unhurt.
Both the motorcycle and the minibus were completely destroyed by fire.
Meanwhile, Dowa Police is urging members of the public to strictly avoid keeping or transporting petrol in bottles, as prohibited under Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) bylaws, to prevent such dangerous incidents.
