At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least six people have died amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were hurt, among them five who remain in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events normally draw massive gatherings and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
