No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least 6 individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" event seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were hurt, including five who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
