At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
At least 6 people have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, including five who remain in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the most recent government statistics show, and such recruitment events typically attract massive gatherings and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
