At Least 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
At least six individuals have died during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment 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 Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were hurt, among them 5 who are in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent official data indicate, and such recruitment events normally draw large crowds and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to allow for more applicants, as a number had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has since begun.
