At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than six individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them five who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the latest official data indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw massive gatherings and often result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now begun.
