No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than 6 individuals have died amid a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, including five who are in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the most recent official data show, and such recruitment events typically attract massive gatherings and often result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since begun.
