At Least Six Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 6 people have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, including five who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and often result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was extended by a week to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has since started.
