No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than six individuals have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were injured, among them five who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and often lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
