At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least 6 individuals have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," stated a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, including 5 who are in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to allow for additional candidates, as a number had faced challenges in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred ahead of 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 medical care.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
