No Fewer Than Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than six people have lost their lives during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" event appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were hurt, among them 5 who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events typically attract large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as some had experienced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since started.
