No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than six individuals have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, including 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.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events typically attract massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has since begun.
