At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" event appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, including 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events typically draw large crowds and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had faced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.
