At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
At least 6 individuals have died amid a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were hurt, among them 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics show, and such enlistment drives normally attract massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
