At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six individuals have died amid a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them five who are in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives typically draw large crowds and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by 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 occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
