No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least 6 individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," stated a release from the nation's military.
22 others were hurt, including 5 who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data indicate, and such recruitment events typically attract large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
