At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
At least six people have died during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" event appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were hurt, among them five who remain in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such recruitment events typically attract large crowds and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has since begun.