No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than six individuals have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were injured, among them 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the latest official data indicate, and such enlistment drives normally attract large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to allow for additional candidates, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.
