No Fewer Than Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
At least 6 people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, including five who are in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was extended by a seven days to allow for more applicants, as a number had experienced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
