Online conspiracy theories rife after 16 election candidates die in Germany

Officials in western Germany have sought to calm online speculation following the deaths of 16 candidates, including seven from a far-right party, in the run-up to a local election.

Voters will go to the polls on 14 September in North Rhine-Westphalia, the country’s most populous state. However, online conspiracy theories have been running rife after the deaths of several candidates, including seven representing the far-right Alternative for Germany (AFD) party.

AfD co-leader, Alice Weidel, highlighted the initial deaths on social media with a post on X saying “4 AfD candidates died.” However, Dr Martin Vincentz, a spokesperson for the North Rhine-Westphalia branch of the party, told Sky News the confirmed number had risen to seven. In a statement, he said the AfD was saddened by the news but that, according to the information they had received so far, there was “currently no indication of unnatural deaths".

Some of those running had known pre-existing conditions. In total, 16 candidates are believed to have died, with police already ruling out unnatural causes in four of the cases, according to the DPA news agency.

The seven AfD nominees were standing for election in a variety of districts and with confirmed ages between 59 and 80. The far-right party is reported to be the only one that has had more than one candidate die.

In all districts where candidates have died, any completed postal ballots will need to be re-cast, local media said. Read more on Sky News:Israel 'not committing genocide'Trump and Mandelson in Epstein bookFrance's political crisis just got worse Ahead of the vote, a spokesman for the local election commission tried to dispel intense online speculation, telling the media that the number of deaths was "not significantly higher" than in previous campaigns.

Some 20,000 seats are up for grabs in the election in a state with a population of more than 18 million. Sky News contacted the police for comment..