At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six people have died during 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 triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," announced a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were injured, among them five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as a number had faced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place ahead of 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 medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has since begun.
