At Least 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than 6 individuals have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" incident appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, including five who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of joining the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the latest government statistics show, and such recruitment events typically attract large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
