At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least 6 people have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were hurt, among them five who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the most recent official data show, and such recruitment events typically draw massive gatherings and often result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
