At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
At least 6 people have died during a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena 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 gates," announced a statement from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them 5 who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events normally draw massive gatherings and often lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
