At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 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 Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," announced a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, including five who are in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the latest government statistics show, and such recruitment events typically draw massive gatherings and frequently 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 difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
