At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six individuals have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, including 5 who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives normally attract large crowds and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since started.
