No Fewer Than Six Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than 6 individuals have lost their lives amid a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were injured, among them 5 who are in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events typically draw large crowds and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
