No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than 6 people have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were hurt, including 5 who are in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent official data indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and often lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since started.
