At Least 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least 6 individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" incident appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were injured, including five who are in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such enlistment drives normally draw massive gatherings and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
