At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than six people have died during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," announced a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them 5 who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives normally attract massive gatherings and often result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced challenges in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since started.
