No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," announced a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them five who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was extended by a week to allow for additional candidates, as some had experienced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
