No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
At least 6 individuals have lost their lives amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," announced a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, including 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of joining the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally attract massive gatherings and often result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.
