No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than 6 individuals have lost their lives amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event seems 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 critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent official data indicate, and such recruitment events typically draw massive gatherings and often lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the planned commencement time 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 enlistment process has since started.
