No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least 6 people have lost their lives 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 triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, including 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the latest government statistics show, and such enlistment drives normally attract massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to allow for additional candidates, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede 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 restored, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
