At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than six people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, including 5 who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and often lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since started.
