No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than 6 individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them five who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such recruitment events normally draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
