No Fewer Than 6 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 the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, among them five who are in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the most recent official data indicate, and such recruitment events typically attract large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
