VIDEO: Falling voting machines kill electoral worker in Baghdad, wound others

author_image Sangar Ali
Employees of Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) were either killed or injured after a row of voting machines fall on them in a warehouse in Baghdad, a member of the commission announced on Saturday

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Employees of Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) were either killed or injured after a row of voting machines fall on them in a warehouse in Baghdad, a member of the commission announced on Saturday.

The incident took place in a warehouse in the western half of Baghdad known as Karkh, IHEC commissioner Said Kakai announced on his official social media account.

“As the employees were working at the warehouse of the verification devices in Baghdad’s Karkh office, the shelves on which the devices were stored fell on some employees and unfortunately killed one and severely wounded two more,” Kakai wrote.

The electronic devices have been at the center of the electoral crisis that has enveloped Iraq for over a month.

Overwhelming claims that the malfunction or intentional misuse of the devices, used at Iraqi polling stations for the first time in May's election, have led to a parliamentary resolution ordering a full manual recount.

On Thursday, Iraq's Supreme Court ruled that the recount will take place.

This is not the first incident at an IHEC warehouse that has occurred since May's ever-problematic and highly-contested election.

A fire broke out in early June at a warehouse in the eastern Rusafa half of Baghdad where ballot boxes were stored, leading to the arrest of four suspects accused of setting it intentionally.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze, but many ballots and voting devices were damaged.

Editing by John J. Catherine

A photograph posted on a the social media account of a commissioner for the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC). (Photo: Social media)
A photograph posted on a the social media account of a commissioner for the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC). (Photo: Social media)
A photograph posted on a the social media account of a commissioner for the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC). (Photo: Social media)
A photograph posted on a the social media account of a commissioner for the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC). (Photo: Social media)
A photograph posted on a the social media account of a commissioner for the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC). (Photo: Social media)
A photograph posted on a the social media account of a commissioner for the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC). (Photo: Social media)
A photograph posted on a the social media account of a commissioner for the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC). (Photo: Social media)
A photograph posted on a the social media account of a commissioner for the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC). (Photo: Social media)