At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least 6 individuals have died amid 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 caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," stated a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were hurt, including five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent official data indicate, and such recruitment events typically draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date 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 took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since started.
