No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than 6 people have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were injured, including five who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since started.