By Isaac Salima:
Four people have died in Blantyre after a canoe they were sailing in capsized on the Shire River.
Chileka Police Station spokesperson Jonathan Philipo identified the deceased as Austin Misheck, 35, Lucius Dyson, 27, Samalani Kinord, 22, and James Kapesi, 20.
He said the four young men met their fate when they went to cut bamboo.
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“The accident happened around six in the morning at Kamwiri Village in Traditional Authority Lundu along the Shire River.
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“The reporter, Yotamu Mpoto, along with the four, went to cut bamboo along the riverbanks. In the course of their activity, the canoe they were in capsized and they drowned,” Philipo said.
He added that Mpoto managed to swim ashore while his colleagues drowned after failing to swim.
According to Philipo, upon being notified of the incident, officers from Lundu Police Unit visited the scene and initiated a search operation.
“On Sunday, four bodies were found floating in the Shire River. A team of detectives from Lundu and Chileka, along with a medical expert from Lundu Health Centre, visited the scene. A post-mortem examination revealed that the deaths were due to suffocation caused by drowning,” he said.
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Meanwhile, the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS) has advised lake users to take necessary precautionary measures due to the stirring up of Mwera winds over Lake Malawi and other water bodies.
The winds are expected to blow with a maximum speed of 50 kilometres per hour with strength, producing higher and potentially dangerous waves on water bodies over the coming days.
According to a statement issued and signed by DCCMS Director Lucy Mtilatila, the dangerous lake conditions are likely to spread to other areas including Karonga, posing serious risks to fishermen, boat operators and lakeshore communities.
The statement says from July 28 to August 3, 2025, the general public should expect the better part of Chiperoni weather characterised by windy, cloudy and chilly conditions associated with patches of fog and rain drizzles.
