No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were hurt, including five who are in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the latest official data indicate, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.
