At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least six people have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were injured, including five who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the latest official data show, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.
