At Least 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least six people have died amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them five who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events typically draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to allow for additional candidates, as some had faced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
