At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than 6 individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a release from the nation's military.
22 others were hurt, among them five who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest official data indicate, and such recruitment events typically attract large crowds and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now begun.
