At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 6 individuals have died amid a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were injured, among them five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
