At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than six people have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were hurt, including 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 armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for additional candidates, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
