At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six people have died during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" event seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were hurt, among them five who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place ahead of 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 restored, and the enlistment process has since started.
