A shock wave has swept German politics, with 16 candidates scheduled to run in local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia on September 14th having died unexpectedly, the Daily Mail reports.
The event has sparked speculation and conspiracy theories across the country.
Of the candidates who lost their lives, seven were from the Alternative for Germany party, while one was from the SPD, the Social Democratic Party, the others from the political entities The Greens, the Animal Protection Party, the Independent Voters' Association, the Free Voters and the Referendum Party.
The four AfD candidates, Ralph Lange, Wolfgang Klinger, Wolfgang Seitz and Stefan Berendes, were the first to pass away, which forced the revision and printing of ballots.
It was later revealed that AfD reserve candidates René Herford and Patrick Tietze had also died. The Interior Ministry later announced that candidates from other parties had also suffered the same fate.
Conspiracy theories
Following the deaths of four AfD candidates, speculation began to spread rapidly on social media, gaining momentum after the number increased to seven.
These conspiracy theories were amplified by AfD co-chair Alice Weidel, who shared a claim by retired economist Stefan Homburg that the candidates' death toll was "statistically almost impossible".
INVESTIGATIONS
Police investigated the first deaths and found nothing suspicious. According to investigators, the first four candidates died of natural causes, which their families have not made public.
The same explanation has been given for other deaths.
North Rhine-Westphalia has a population of 18 million, with around 20,000 candidates running for local office. The short time between nominations and elections has meant that these deaths have had an impact on the electoral process and increased uncertainty among citizens.