A mentally-ill man has stabbed to death a mentally-ill girl, 18, during a quarrel over firewood in Kasungu.

Harry Namwaza, Public Relations Officer for Kasungu Police Station said the incident occurred at Nkhamenya trading centre.

Namwaza identified the girl as Fatsani Nkhoma while the other mentally-ill person is identified as Alli Chitenje, of Sitolo village, Traditional Authority Kaluluma in Kasungu.

Namwaza explained that the two have been loitering around Nkhamenya trading centre due to their mental illness.

On this day it is alleged that Alli Chitenje had kept some bunches of firewood which he collected for his own use.

Nkhoma (now deceased) took some bunches of firewood kept by Chitenje without his consent, said Namwaza.

This did not go well with Chitenje who started pushing Fatsani Nkhoma away.

In retaliation, Nkhoma took a knife and stabbed Alli Chitenje on the clavicle of the right hand side.

However, Chitenje removed the knife himself and used the same knife to stab Fatsani Nkhoma on the clavicle of the left hand side which made her collapse.

Nkhoma was rushed to Nkhamenya Mission Hospital where she was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Postmortem conducted showed that she died due to severe loss of blood.

Meanwhile, Chitenje is in critical condition and is receiving treatment at Kasungu District Hospital.

Nkhoma hailed from Zanda village, traditional authority Kaluluma in Kasungu district.