No Fewer Than Six Perish in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than six people have lost their lives amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" event appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them five who are in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration 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 normally draw massive gatherings and often result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
