At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
At least 6 people have died amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were injured, including 5 who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the most recent official data show, and such recruitment events typically draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
