At Least Six Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
At least 6 individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" incident appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, including five who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives normally attract large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
