At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
At least 6 people have lost their lives amid a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were injured, among them 5 who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally draw large crowds and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.
