No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 6 people have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, including 5 who remain in serious state.
A large crowd 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 approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now begun.
