No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than 6 people have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were hurt, including 5 who are in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the most recent official data indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract large crowds and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
