At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than 6 people have lost their lives amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, among them five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the most recent government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally attract massive gatherings and often result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
