At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
At least six individuals have died amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, among them five who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the latest official data indicate, and such enlistment drives normally attract large crowds and often lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
