At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
At least 6 people have lost their lives amid a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, including five who are in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw massive gatherings and often result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had faced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since begun.
