At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six individuals have died amid a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, including 5 who are in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events typically attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a seven days to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
