At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 6 people have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," announced a statement from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, including five who are in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest official data indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was extended by a week to allow for additional candidates, as some had experienced challenges in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.