No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 6 people have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were injured, including five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the latest government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically attract large crowds and often lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as some had experienced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has since begun.