No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than 6 individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, among them 5 who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest official data show, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced challenges in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
