No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least 6 people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" incident appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a release from the nation's military.
22 others were injured, among them five who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically attract large crowds and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has since started.
