At Least 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least 6 individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, including 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the latest official data indicate, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and often result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred 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.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
