Malawi: Pathologist Says Chilima Died Instantly, Rejects Hijack Claims Before Parliament

What the report says

A pathologist who examined the bodies of former Malawi vice-president Saulos Chilima and seven others killed in the June 10, 2024 plane crash has told a parliamentary committee that the victims died instantly on impact and that the medical evidence does not support hijacking claims. The testimony was reported by Nyasa Times and distributed by AllAfrica, with the evidence presented before Parliament’s ad-hoc committee investigating the Chikangawa crash.

According to the report, Steve Kamiza, who led the postmortem team, described injuries consistent with an extreme impact, including multiple fractures and deep cuts. He also said postmortems indicated the victims were strapped into their seats when the aircraft hit the ground. Kamiza rejected the hijack theory and pointed to soil, vegetation and jet fuel found on the bodies as signs of the crash’s severity.

The hearing adds to official scrutiny of one of Malawi’s most high-profile recent aviation disasters, which killed the country’s former vice-president and seven others. While the article focuses on forensic evidence rather than a final inquiry outcome, it suggests Parliament is still examining competing explanations and the physical evidence surrounding the crash. Such findings matter because they shape public understanding of the accident and any broader questions about safety, accountability and the circumstances of the deaths.