No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than six individuals have died during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were injured, including 5 who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, 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 enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had faced challenges in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.