No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," announced a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were injured, including 5 who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically draw large crowds and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, 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 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
