At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least six people have lost their lives amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" event seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, including five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the most recent official data indicate, and such enlistment drives normally attract large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
