Boster Nzima from the area told Zodiak on Sunday that the woman was mauled to death Saturday night as she was trying to rescue her son who was being attacked by the hyena.

"The woman with her two children were escorting a friend who had come to visit them and it was when she was returning that a hyena sprung out from the bush and started attacking her son so in the course of trying to rescue the child that's when she was mauled to death,” said Nzima.

Nzima further said besides the woman and her child, seven other men were also attacked on Saturday night.

The body of the woman was found in the wee hours of Sunday after villagers noticed that she was missing.

Mzimba district police spokesperson Peter Botha confirmed the incident and identified the woman as 31-year-old Rose Makamo.

"I can confirm the incident and the deceased is Rose Makamo aged 31 while the other 7 are all men. They sustained various injuries,” said Botha. 

Rose Makamo hailed from Kamangadazi Makamo village in the area of Inkosi Mmbelwa.

Fear has gripped communities in the area following the attacks.

Meanwhile, the district spokesperson Ulunji Luhanga says four of the victims of the hyena attack  have been referred to Mzuzu Central Hospital for further treatment.

Veterinary officials in the district have taken samples from the killed hyena to determine whether it had rabies.