No Fewer Than Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
At least six people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" event appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," announced a release from the nation's military.
22 others were injured, among them five who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.
