No Fewer Than Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than 6 people have lost their lives amid a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.
22 others were injured, among them 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest official data indicate, and such recruitment events typically attract large crowds and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.
