At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least six people have lost their lives amid a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were injured, among them 5 who are in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics show, and such enlistment drives normally attract massive gatherings and often lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was extended by a week to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had faced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
