No Fewer Than Six Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
At least 6 individuals have died during a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," stated a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, including 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events typically draw large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has since started.
