At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 6 people have lost their lives during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," stated a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were hurt, including five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives typically draw large crowds and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.
