At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than six people have lost their lives amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, among them 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest official data show, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced challenges in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since started.
