No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than six people have died during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were hurt, including five who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered 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 approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events normally draw massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
