No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than 6 individuals have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were hurt, among them 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the most recent official data show, and such recruitment events typically attract large crowds and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this event was prolonged for a seven days to allow for more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
