At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than six individuals have died amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" incident appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, including five who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest official data indicate, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a week to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
