No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than six people have died during a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" incident appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were hurt, including 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of joining the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the latest official data show, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and often lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a week to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now begun.
