At Least Six Perish in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
At least six individuals have died during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were hurt, among them five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the most recent official data indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.
