No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least 6 individuals have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were hurt, including five who remain in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics show, and such recruitment events typically attract large crowds and frequently lead to 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.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
