At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least 6 people have died amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, among them 5 who are in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw massive gatherings and often result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
