No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than 6 individuals have died amid a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were hurt, including 5 who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest official data indicate, and such enlistment drives normally attract large crowds and often lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now begun.
