No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least 6 people have lost their lives during a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.
