Four people, including a two-year old boy, have perished in a road accident on Saturday in Kasungu.

The fatal accident involved a lorry and a passenger vehicle which happened Saturday evening at Camel Trading Centre along the M1 Road in Kasungu.

Kasungu Police Public Relations Officer, Joseph Kachikho said the two-year-old Isaac Phiri, Thokozani Foster, 32; Blessings Kaphiza, and one other man yet to be identified were pronounced dead upon arrival at Kasungu District Hospital.

According to police, the accident involved a Mitsubishi Canter registration number BZ 8931 driven by Jekapu Mpanang'ombe and a Toyota Voxy registration number PE 3189 driven by James Mtendere.

"Mtendere was driving from the direction of Kasungu heading towards Lilongwe with passengers on board and upon reaching the said place, he started overtaking an unknown rider and in the process, collided head on with the Mitsubishi Canter which was coming from the opposite direction with 48 passengers on board," said Kachikho in a statement.

He said the people in the lorry were coming from a funeral in Dowa.

"As a result of the impact, the four passengers, two from each vehicle, were pronounced dead upon arrival at Kasungu District Hospital, while four other male passengers sustained head and internal injuries and are admitted at the facility," said Kachikho.

At least 50 people escaped with various injuries and were treated as outpatients, police say.

Meanwhile, the police in the district have advised road users to adhere to all road traffic rules and regulations to prevent accidents.