At Least 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
At least 6 individuals have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were hurt, among them five who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events typically draw large crowds and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
