No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 6 individuals have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were injured, among them 5 who are in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest official data indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had faced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.
