At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than 6 people have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were injured, including 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically draw large crowds and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now begun.
