No Fewer Than Six Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than 6 individuals have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," stated a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were injured, among them five who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the latest official data indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw massive gatherings and often lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has since begun.
