No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least 6 individuals have lost their lives amid a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were injured, including five who are in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events typically draw large crowds and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.
