At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than 6 individuals have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them 5 who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest government statistics show, and such recruitment events typically draw massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
