At Least 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than 6 people have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," announced a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were injured, including five who are in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the most recent government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.
