No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
At least 6 people have died during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, including 5 who are in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest official data show, and such enlistment drives normally attract large crowds and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had faced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
