No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than six individuals have died during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" event seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them 5 who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
