At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least six people have lost their lives during a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, including five who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives typically attract large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
