At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than six people have died during a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" incident appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, including 5 who are in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and often lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
