At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least six people have died during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were injured, among them 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this event was prolonged for a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Capt 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 gone to see the injured in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
