Six young people injured during a stampede at the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) recruitment screening at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi have been treated and discharged, local officials have confirmed.
The incident occurred on Wednesday when a surge in the crowd caused several applicants to fall, sustaining various injuries.
The victims were rushed to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Hospital, the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, and other nearby facilities for emergency care.
Kumasi Mayor, Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, described the incident as unfortunate and said the city had taken steps to forestall similar occurrences during future screening and recruitment exercises.
Despite intensifying public pressure for a nationwide suspension of the GAF recruitment following the fatal stampede at the El-Wak Sports Stadium in Accra; where six applicants died and dozens were injured; the exercise in Kumasi has continued without interruption.
Thousands of young men and women flooded the Baba Yara Stadium at dawn on Thursday, queueing for physical assessments and document verification. Security presence has been heightened as authorities work to manage the swelling crowds.
Kumasi Mayor Ofori Agyemang Boadi said he was satisfied with the improved arrangements at the stadium, noting that the management of the facility had been asked to provide additional floodlights to support the early-morning and late-night stages of the process.
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He also visited the hospitals where the injured applicants were admitted and assured that government is prepared to settle all their medical bills.
The GAF recruitment screening in Kumasi is expected to continue under tightened safety measures.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Isaac Justice Bediako
