At Least 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 6 people have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, including 5 who are in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest official data show, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
