At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least 6 individuals have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were hurt, including five who are in serious state.
Thousands had turned up 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 about 32%, the latest government statistics show, and such recruitment events typically draw large crowds and often lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a week to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
