No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than six people have died amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were hurt, including 5 who are in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since started.
