A 27-year-old man is fighting for his life at Zomba Central Hospital after being shot by a forestry officer during a fracas on Monday.

The fracas ensued as the forestry officials wanted to confiscate bags of charcoal from sellers at Chinamwali trading center on Monday morning.

According to an eye witness, the forestry officer who is yet to be identified, shot the victim who was inside a vehicle as he was trying to dispense the angry charcoal sellers who were charging against the officers.

A visit by YFM at the hospital on Monday afternoon revealed that a police officer who accompanied the forestry officials during the operation was also injured during the fracas.