At Least 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six individuals have died during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them 5 who are in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract large crowds and often lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
