No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than 6 individuals have lost their lives amid a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," stated a release from the nation's military.
22 others were injured, among them 5 who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the latest official data indicate, and such recruitment events normally draw massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was extended by a week to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had faced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.