No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least 6 individuals have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," announced a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were injured, among them 5 who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events normally draw large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since begun.
