No Fewer Than Six Perish in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
At least six people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a release from the nation's military.
22 others were hurt, including 5 who are in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for additional candidates, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.
