No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least six individuals have lost their lives amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, among them five who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives normally draw massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since begun.
