At Least 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than six people have lost their lives during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were hurt, including five who are in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events normally attract massive gatherings and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.
