At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least six individuals have died amid a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were injured, among them 5 who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has since started.
