At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than six people have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, among them five who remain in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such recruitment events typically attract large crowds and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to allow for additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
