At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than six individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" event seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were hurt, including 5 who are in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, 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 indicate, and such recruitment events typically draw large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as some had faced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.