No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six individuals have died during a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" incident appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," stated a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, among them five who are in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics show, and such recruitment events typically draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
