No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than six people have lost their lives amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" incident appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were injured, among them 5 who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally draw large crowds and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.
