At Least Six Perish in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
At least six people have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were injured, including five who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a week to allow for additional candidates, as a number had faced challenges in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said 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 wounded in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
