Thugs in the border district of Chitipa have on Saturday chopped the hands of 52 year old woman Lucia Nakainja at her own home Maravipost has learnt.

According to Chitipa police, the incident happened around 2 am when the victim was sleeping with his family.

The police said the woman is currently battling for her life at the district hospital.

The husband of the woman was also injured on his forehead when he tried to save his wife.

It is reported that the thugs who were a group of four people wanted to seek refuge in the house of the victims after they were chased by the community.

“They knocked our door and after opening it they demand us to leave the house so that they should temporarily use it,” said the husband.

According to him, after seeing that he was reluctant they then beat him with unknown weapon on the forehead before chopping the hands of his wife.

Meanwhile, the doctors at the hospital are planning to refer the victims to Mzuzu central hospital.

Meanwhile, the police in district have asked residents to be calm saying that they will do their best to arrest the culprits.

The victims Yohane Mfungwe 81 and his wife Lucia hails from Ipeza 5 village in the area of Senior Chief Kameme in the same district.