No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 6 people have died during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were hurt, among them five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
The country 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 closing date to submit applications for this event was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.
