No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than six individuals have lost their lives amid a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were hurt, including 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, 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 indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.
