At Least Six Perish in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six individuals have died amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were hurt, including 5 who are in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
