No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than six individuals have lost their lives amid a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" event appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were hurt, including five who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics show, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds 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 challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since begun.
