At Least 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six people have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," announced a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were hurt, including five who are in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the most recent official data indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has since started.
