At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than 6 individuals have died during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, among them 5 who are in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and often lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
