At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
At least 6 individuals have died amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, including 5 who are in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of joining the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically draw large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has since started.
