No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than six individuals have died during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent official data indicate, and such recruitment events typically draw large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
