At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment 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 Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" incident appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were hurt, including 5 who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of 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.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
