At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 6 individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were hurt, including 5 who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the most recent official data indicate, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was extended by a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has since begun.
