No Fewer Than Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least 6 people have lost their lives during a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" incident appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were injured, among them 5 who are in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such recruitment events typically attract large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was extended by a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
