At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 6 individuals have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were hurt, among them five who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent official data indicate, and such recruitment events normally attract massive gatherings and often result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.