No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
At least 6 people have died during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" incident appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, among them 5 who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the latest official data indicate, and such recruitment events normally draw large crowds and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now started.