No Fewer Than Six Perish in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
At least six people have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, among them five who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events normally draw large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
