Iraq's biggest ballot warehouse caught fire Sunday before a recount ordered by parliament, according to security officials.
The warehouse, which stored ballots from Al-Russafa, one of the largest voting districts in eastern Baghdad, was reportedly still aflame two hours after it initially caught fire, as firefighters backed by 10 trucks worked to control the blaze, according to the French Press Agency.
The Iraqi legislature voted Wednesday to have a recount of votes in the country's May 12 parliamentary election and to suspend the panel charged with overseeing the election amid charges of electoral fraud.
The parliament ordered a recount at all polling stations, where nearly 11 million votes were cast.
Iraq has been mired in confusion since the surprise victory for populist Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, who is aligned with communists.
Since Sadr's victory, long-time political figures who were forced out by reform-minded Iraqi voters have been calling for a recount.
Intelligence services said tests of electronic voting machines, which were used for the first time in Iraq, produced inconsistent results, fueling claims of election fraud.
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