No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than six people have lost their lives during a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," announced a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, among them 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the latest government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically attract large crowds and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now begun.
