No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than six individuals have died amid a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were hurt, among them 5 who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the most recent government statistics show, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as some had faced challenges in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.
