At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than 6 people have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" event appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them 5 who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and often result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as a number had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
