No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 6 individuals have lost their lives amid a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," stated a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were injured, among them 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the latest official data show, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
