At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least 6 people have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were injured, among them 5 who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such recruitment events normally attract massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as a number had faced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
