No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 6 individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were hurt, among them five who remain in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the most recent official data indicate, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and often lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has since started.
