At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 6 individuals have lost their lives amid a crowd crush 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 "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were hurt, including 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics show, and such recruitment events typically draw large crowds and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now begun.
