No Fewer Than Six Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six people have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were injured, including five who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
