At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six people have died during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were hurt, among them 5 who are in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent official data indicate, and such enlistment drives typically draw large crowds and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to allow for additional candidates, as a number had experienced challenges in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
