An elderly man was injured in a ruling party campaign event in Thinadhoo island of Gaafu Dhaalu atoll on Saturday evening.

While the presidential elections are to be held on September 23, supporters of President Abdulla Yameen – ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM)’s candidate – have been holding vehicle rallies every Saturday.

A youth member who took part in the event told RaajjeMV that an elderly man was injured after falling off a pickup, adding that he was thrown three feet away.

Some of the participants of the rally were sitting on chairs that were placed on the pickup.

“Those on the pickups are individuals that are not able to ride a motorcycle. This includes women and elderly men. We were behind. The pickup suddenly accelerated, making those on the chairs to tilt to a side. There were no other injuries,” said RaajjeMV’s source.

The man suffered minor injuries due to the fall, and was taken to Dr. Abdul Samad Memorial Hospital for treatment.

The incident took place in front of opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s main headquarters in Thinadhoo.