No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than six people have lost their lives during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events typically attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the process.
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 President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since begun.
