No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least 6 individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" incident appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them 5 who are in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the most recent official data show, and such recruitment events typically attract large crowds and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
