No Fewer Than Six Perish in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than six people have died during a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" event appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," announced a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were hurt, among them 5 who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the latest official data indicate, and such enlistment drives normally attract large crowds and often lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
