Vatican City: Black smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, signaling that a new pope had not been elected in the initial ballot during the conclave’s closed session. The visible plume announced to the world that the first round of voting ended without the cardinal electors reaching a consensus on a new pontiff.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the cardinal electors gathered for prayer on Wednesday morning before casting their votes in the Sistine Chapel. For a new pope to be elected, a candidate must secure approval from two-thirds of the cardinal electors. The successful election of a pope would be marked by white smoke emerging from the chapel’s chimney.

In the process of voting, every two rounds result in the burning of ballots, with the smoke communicating the outcome to onlookers in St. Peter’s Square and beyond. When a pope is not elected, the ballots are combined with chemicals such as potassium perchlorate, anthracene, and sulfur to produce the distinct black smoke.

Conversely, if a pope is elected, the ballots are burned with potassium chlorate, lactose, and chloroform resin, creating white smoke that signifies the Church’s decision. This conclave follows the death of Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21 at the age of 89 after suffering a stroke that led to a coma and cardiac arrest.