No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than six individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed 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 turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
