At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least 6 individuals have died amid a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" incident appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were injured, among them 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest official data show, and such enlistment drives normally attract large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had faced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
