At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least six individuals have lost their lives amid a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," announced a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, including five who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the most recent government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to allow for additional candidates, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
