No Fewer Than Six Perish in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than six people have died during a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, including 5 who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such recruitment events typically draw massive gatherings and often result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since begun.
