No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than six individuals have died amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were injured, including 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the latest official data indicate, and such recruitment events typically draw large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as some had experienced challenges in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
