No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than 6 people have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them 5 who are in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent official data indicate, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to allow for additional candidates, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
