At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
At least six people have died amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," announced a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, including 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such recruitment events normally draw massive gatherings and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.
