No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least 6 people have lost their lives amid a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, among them 5 who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent official data indicate, and such enlistment drives typically draw large crowds and often lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since begun.
