At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than six individuals have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, among them five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics show, and such recruitment events typically 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 additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.
