At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than six people have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, including 5 who are in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data indicate, and such recruitment events typically draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was extended by a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as a number had faced challenges in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has since started.
