No Fewer Than Six Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than 6 individuals have died during a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" event appeared 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.
22 others were hurt, including five who are in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events typically attract massive gatherings and often result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
