No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 6 individuals have lost their lives amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were hurt, including five who are in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives normally attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a week to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
