At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least 6 individuals have died amid a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, among them five who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
