No Fewer Than Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least 6 people have died during a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were hurt, among them 5 who are 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 show, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
