At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least six people have died during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them five who remain in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of joining the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent official data indicate, and such recruitment events typically attract large crowds and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to allow for more applicants, as a number had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
