At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than six individuals have died during a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, among them 5 who are in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.
