No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than 6 people have lost their lives during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them five who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
