At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
At least six people have lost their lives during a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" incident appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were injured, among them 5 who are in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the latest official data indicate, and such enlistment drives normally attract massive gatherings and often result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since started.
