No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
At least 6 individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment 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 overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, among them 5 who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and often result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced challenges in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred before 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 medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since started.
