No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least 6 people have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" incident appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, among them 5 who are in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the latest official data indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to allow for additional candidates, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
