At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than 6 people have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" event appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them 5 who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the latest official data show, and such enlistment drives normally draw massive gatherings and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now begun.
