At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than six people have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" incident appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were injured, among them five who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest official data indicate, and such recruitment events normally draw large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
