At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than six people have died amid a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were injured, among them 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events typically draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to allow for additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
