At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least 6 individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," announced a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were injured, including five who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such enlistment drives normally attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.