At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six individuals have died amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were injured, among them five who are in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
