At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least 6 individuals have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were injured, including 5 who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics show, and such recruitment events typically attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since started.
