At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
At least six individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them 5 who are in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events normally attract massive gatherings and often lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
