No Fewer Than Six Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 6 people have lost their lives during a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" event appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them five who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the latest government statistics show, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was extended by a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place ahead of 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 medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.
