No Fewer Than Six Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six individuals have died during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were hurt, including 5 who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up 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 32%, the most recent official data indicate, and such enlistment drives normally attract massive gatherings and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as some had experienced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.