No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than six individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them five who are in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and often result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
