No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were hurt, including 5 who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the latest official data show, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
