At Least Six Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least six people have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were injured, including 5 who are in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw massive gatherings and often result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this event was prolonged for a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
