At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than six individuals have died during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were hurt, among them five who are in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
