At Least Six Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than 6 people have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest official data indicate, and such recruitment events typically attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
