No Fewer Than Six Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than 6 individuals have lost their lives amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, including five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the latest government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as some had faced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since started.
