No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least six individuals have died during a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" event appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were hurt, including five who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the latest official data show, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and often lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has since started.