No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than 6 individuals have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, among them five who remain in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
The country 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 frequently result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said 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 medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
