No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than six individuals have died amid a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" event appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were hurt, among them five who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent official data indicate, and such enlistment drives normally attract large crowds and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for additional candidates, as a number had experienced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
