No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
At least six people have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were hurt, among them 5 who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events typically attract massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had faced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
