At Least Six Perish in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six individuals have died amid a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were hurt, among them five who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the latest government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since started.
