No Fewer Than Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
At least six individuals have died amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them 5 who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the most recent official data indicate, and such recruitment events typically attract large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
