At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least six people have lost their lives during a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were hurt, among them five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such recruitment events normally draw massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has since begun.
