No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
At least six people have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were hurt, among them 5 who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such recruitment events normally attract massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated 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 since started.
