At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
At least six individuals have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," announced a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were injured, including five who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to allow for more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
