At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 6 people have died amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" incident seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were injured, among them 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the latest official data indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract large crowds and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said 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 visited the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.
