No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than six individuals have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them five who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events typically attract massive gatherings and often result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
