No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six individuals have died amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, including 5 who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of joining the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to allow for additional candidates, as some had faced challenges in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
