Teenager dies while removing campaign poster in Duhok

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A 16-year-old boy died while trying to take down a campaign poster in Duhok province’s Shekhan district, as he touched the sign’s electrified metal frame on the final night of the campaigning period, authorities said.

Mahran Nerwaii, mayor of Qasrok a subdistrict in Shekhan, told Rudaw that Mohammed Mame Buzo, a ninth-grade student, was electrocuted late Tuesday night while attempting to remove a candidate’s poster that his family had hung outside their house in support. 

Buzo died instantly, according to the mayor, who said the family is not pursuing legal action, viewing the incident as an act of fate.

With official campaigning for the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary election ending, residents began collecting the metal frames of posters, sometimes selling the metal for scrap.

“He only wanted to remove it to comply with the conclusion of the campaigning,” the mayor said, adding that many posters in the area had already been taken down that day.

“Mohammed’s purpose to remove the poster was not to sell the metal,” Nerwaii added.

On Wednesday, the Kurdistan Regional Government warned that those who remove metal frames would face legal consequences.

Hemin Mirani, the general director of the interior ministry's chief-of-staff, announced on Wednesday that "candidates and political parties are responsible for collecting" campaign materials from public spaces after the election.” 

Two days after the official campaigning began on September 25, a teenager in Erbil was killed after being struck by a truck while hanging a poster. The boy's brother, who was operating the crane vehicle used to lift him for the task, was also severely injured.

Rebwar Ali contributed to this report.