At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than 6 individuals have died amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," announced a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were hurt, among them five who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest official data show, and such enlistment drives normally draw massive gatherings and often lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has since begun.
