At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
At least 6 people have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were injured, including five who are in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives normally attract large crowds and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
