At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
At least six people have lost their lives amid a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, including five who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events normally draw large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has since begun.
