No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least 6 individuals have died during a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" event appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were hurt, among them five who remain in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events normally draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
