At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than 6 individuals have lost their lives amid a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, including five who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now begun.
