No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least six individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were hurt, including 5 who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such enlistment drives normally attract large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.
