At Least Six Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least six individuals have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were injured, among them 5 who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the latest official data show, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and often result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
