No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than 6 people have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were hurt, among them five who are in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the most recent official data indicate, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.
