At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than 6 individuals have died during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, including five who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data indicate, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
