At Least 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
At least 6 people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were hurt, among them 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
