At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
At least six people have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates 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 gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events typically draw massive gatherings and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
