At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least six individuals have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were injured, including 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data indicate, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede 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 hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
