No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least six individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them 5 who are in critical condition.
Thousands 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 rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically draw large crowds and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
