No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than six individuals have died during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "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 Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, including five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events typically attract massive gatherings and often lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for additional candidates, as a number had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since begun.
