No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
At least 6 individuals have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" incident seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, including five who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics show, and such recruitment events typically draw large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.
