At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six individuals have lost their lives amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" event seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, among them 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest official data indicate, and such enlistment drives normally attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
