No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least 6 people have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" event appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were injured, including 5 who are in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest official data show, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and often result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
