Hundreds of mourners yesterday bade a tearful farewell to 24 people killed in a road accident at Tenende in Karonga District on return from a football match in Chitipa.

Nyungwe Primary School ground was the venue for the mass funeral service and the people burst into tears as the coffins containing the remains of the 24 arrived, according to images monitored on Tuntufye FM Facebook streaming.

Thereafter, the bodies were repatriated to various villages for burial.

Children of the departed looked helpless as they wailed uncontrollably for their mothers or fathers.

In their eulogies, speakers were visibly in sheer disbelief of the accident and more so the gap the loss has created at household, community and national levels.

One of the speakers said one family lost three members.

Representing President Lazarus Chakwera, Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale said the President was saddened with the death of the 24.

Kawale: We need to trust in God

“During such difficult times, it is important to turn to God because we normally have so many questions without answers. We need to trust that God will be there to look after us,” he said.

Kawale said besides the coffins and transport arranged by the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) for the 24 bereaved families, the President donated bags of maize and K7.5 million to assist them during the funeral ceremony.

Minister of Sport and Youth Uchizi Mkandawire thanked the President for directing the Ministry of Local Government and Dodma to help with funeral arrangements.

Speaker of the National Assembly Catherine Gotani-Hara also said the accident and loss of lives has left so many scars in Karonga.

She said: “These people have left children, so I ask that relatives, friends and others should come in to support. They need support in school, hopefully that on that part government may come in to offer support.”

In his address, Paramount Chief Kyungu of Karonga and Chitipa reiterated his call to government to come up with measures to ensure that lorries do not ferry people to avoid such accidents.

The chief said: “I get very worried sometimes to see many young men being ferried in lorries. A simple turn would lead to serious casualties.

“We need a serious law to deal with this problem. Let the police do their work and together we end this problem. It’s a tragedy and we need to do something about it.”

Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Walter Nyamilandu Manda, who was also in attendance, thanked government for stepping in to support the funeral arrangements.

Other dignitaries present at the prayers included Minister of Defence Harry Mkandawire, Deputy Minister of Local Government Owen Chomanika, Karonga Nyungwe legislator Kenneth Ndovi and the clergy.

The 24 died on Saturday night after Nyungwe Football Club players, officials and supporters were involved in the accident on their way back from a Northern Region Football Association and FAM Motomoto Division 1 match against Chitipa Hammers.

Apart from the 24, 35 remain admitted to Karonga District Hospital while 26 have been discharged.

Police in Karonga yesterday said they are still investigating to establish the cause of the accident.

The post Tearful farewell for 24 accident victims first appeared on The Nation Online.