At Least 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than six individuals have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them five who remain in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the most recent official data show, and such recruitment events typically draw massive gatherings and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
