No Fewer Than Six Perish in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least 6 individuals have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them five who are in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since started.
