No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six people have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" event seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, including five who remain in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives normally draw massive gatherings and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said 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 wounded in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
