No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than 6 people have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them 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 aspiration of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data indicate, and such recruitment events typically draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since begun.
