A petrol bomb blast at a church service in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, has injured about 20 people, two of them seriously. The assailant reportedly escaped after triggering off the blast.



The Catholic Church is the largest single religious denomination, accounting for almost half of the country’s 12 million population. The blast occurred during the morning church service attended by hundreds. According to eyewitnesses, a young man set fire to petrol he had hidden in a plastic bag.



Father Gabriel Jana, head of the Catholic radio station, said he had no clue as to why anyone should want to attack the church, adding that the man just entered the church with a five-liter jerry can of petrol and set it alight. The congregation managed to contain the fire before it spread too far. However, it was too early to assess the damage.



One person who was sitting next to the bomber suffered severe burns and was at present in the intensive care unit of the city’s Kamuzu Central Hospital. Another person who was trampled during the stampede is also in hospital.



Police have intensified their investigation to establish what happened.



Via: BBC