At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than six individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
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 statement from the nation's military.
22 others were injured, among them 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the latest official data show, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now begun.
