At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least 6 people have lost their lives amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were hurt, among them five who are in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest official data indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw massive gatherings and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has since begun.