No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than six individuals have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them five who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events normally draw massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for additional candidates, as a number had experienced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
