No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than 6 people have died during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, including five who are in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had experienced challenges in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
