No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than six individuals have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were hurt, among them 5 who are in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and often result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.