No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than six individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," stated a release from the nation's military.
22 others were hurt, including 5 who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the most recent official data show, and such recruitment events typically attract large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as a number had experienced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has since begun.
