No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than 6 individuals have lost their lives amid a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were hurt, among them 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events normally draw large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as a number had faced challenges in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.