At Least Six Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least 6 people have died amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," announced a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were injured, among them five who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest official data indicate, and such recruitment events typically attract large crowds and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of 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.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has since started.