No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least six individuals have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were hurt, including 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the most recent official data indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
