At Least Six Lose Their Lives 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 stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" incident appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were hurt, including five who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the most recent official data indicate, and such enlistment drives typically draw large crowds and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has since started.
