No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least six people have died amid a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," announced a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were hurt, including 5 who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and often lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since begun.
