At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least six individuals have died amid a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them 5 who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events typically attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of the planned commencement time 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.
