No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
At least six individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were hurt, among them 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the latest government statistics show, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since begun.
