At Least Six Perish in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six people have lost their lives amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" incident appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were injured, among them 5 who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally draw large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.
