At Least Six Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least 6 individuals have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were hurt, among them five who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest official data show, and such enlistment drives typically draw large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was extended by a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.
