At least six people have died after a crowd stormed a military recruitment event at a stadium in Ghana.
The Ghanaian military said in a statement that Wednesday’s “tragic” crush appeared to have been caused by “an unexpected surge of volunteers who breached security protocols and rushed to the gates.”
Another 22 people were injured, five of whom remain in critical condition.
Thousands of people flocked to El Wak Stadium in the capital Accra, hoping to join the military.
According to recent government statistics, Ghana’s youth unemployment rate is about 32%, and such recruitment events usually attract large crowds and are often chaotic situations.
Because many people experienced difficulties during this event, the application deadline was extended by one week to accommodate more applicants.
Army spokeswoman Colonel Veronica Adzo Arhin said the clashes occurred ahead of the event’s scheduled 6.20am (GMT) start.
Ghanaian President John Mahama visited the injured in hospital.
Despite the death, recruitment training began but was halted in the afternoon “to allow for further action to ensure smooth training,” Capt. Ahin said.
She added that there would be an investigation into the crush.
