At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
At least 6 individuals have died amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," announced a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were injured, including five who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such recruitment events typically draw massive gatherings and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
