No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than six individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" incident appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were hurt, including 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of joining the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events typically draw large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was extended by a week to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has since begun.
