At Least Six Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
At least 6 individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were hurt, including 5 who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.
