Storm damages Sukhothai polling station, officials flee with ballot boxes and 2 injured

A severe storm caused significant damage to a polling station in Sukhothai, Thailand, yesterday, injuring two officials and forcing them to quickly gather and secure voting materials. The incident took place at Polling Station No. 22, Area 4, located in the multi-purpose building of Sri Satchanalai Municipal School, in Sri Satchanalai District.

Upon arriving, reporters discovered the remains of several broken roof tiles scattered across the ground, together with puddles formed by the heavy rainwater that had penetrated the structure. Electrical wires were simultaneously exposed in certain areas, prompting officials to urgently cut power to the building. Meanwhile, tables, chairs, and electoral lists had been knocked over and strewn around due to the force of the winds.

Additionally, a Toyota Fortuner belonging to the polling station’s head was damaged by falling roof tiles, which shattered the vehicle’s front window. One official was sent to the hospital after being struck on the head by a falling tile, while another police officer sustained minor injuries to his right leg when a roof tile fell on him.

According to Ratchaniyom Lame Phai, head of the affected polling station, officials were forced to secure voting materials and equipment to prevent them from being blown away as the storm’s intensity increased. Roof tiles began to be torn off by the powerful winds, with an estimated 100 tiles falling to the ground and contributing to the flooding in the building.

Officials decided to store the ballot boxes in a nearby storage room and seek refuge there to avoid further injury. After around 15 minutes, the storm subsided, allowing an initial inspection of the damages to take place. The head of the station notified the superior unit of the incident and made arrangements to move the vote-counting equipment to the school’s cafeteria without further delay. By 6pm, the vote counting process began, with a few local voters witnessing the proceedings.

Despite the challenges, the Pheu Thai Party emerged victorious in all four areas of Sukhothai, both in district-separated and party-list elections reported Sanook.