Lilongwe, Malawi - A man dressed as a choir member set off an explosion during Mass at a Roman Catholic church in Malawi, igniting a fire that injured at least 20 people, police said today. Willie Mwaluka, a police spokesperson, said the blast yesterday at the St. Francis Church in a township outside of the capital Lilongwe, appeared to have been deliberately set.
"We have dispatched our explosives experts to the scene to investigate whether indeed this was a bomb or simply petrol carried in a bag," Mwaluka told reporters. "The motive by the suspect is unknown, because he is still at-large. He ran away during the stampede," he said.
Mwaluka said the man arrived at the church carrying a bag and dressed as a choir member. Other choristers detected a strong smell of petrol, but before they could raise the alarm the suspect lit a match and the bag exploded.
Bob Khamisa, the home affairs minister, condemned the incident and ordered police to thoroughly investigate the motive. "Places of worship are sacred and should be the safest places for society. I want to assure Malawians that government will tighten security in all public places," Khamisa said in a brief statement.
Relations between members of the different religions in Malawi have been largely harmonious.
Roman Catholics make up around a fifth of Malawi's 10 million people. At least 70% of Malawians are Christians, while about 20% are Muslims. The remaining 10% are members of traditional sects.