No Fewer Than Six Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than six people have died amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, including five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up 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 about 32%, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives typically attract large crowds and often lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now started.