No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than six individuals have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics show, and such enlistment drives normally attract massive gatherings and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
