At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least six individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," announced a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, including five who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the most recent government statistics show, and such recruitment events typically attract massive gatherings and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
