No Fewer Than Six Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least six people have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," announced a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, including 5 who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since started.
