At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
At least 6 individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, including five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.
