At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 6 people have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," stated a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, among them five who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had faced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
