No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least 6 individuals have died during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium 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 release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them five who are in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of joining the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives normally attract large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced challenges in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.