At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least 6 individuals have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were injured, among them five who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has since started.
