At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least 6 people have died amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," stated a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were injured, including five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd 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 about 32%, the latest official data indicate, and such recruitment events typically attract massive gatherings and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to allow for additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
