At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than 6 people have died during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," announced a statement from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were hurt, including 5 who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics show, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since begun.
