At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six people have lost their lives during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were injured, among them five who are in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and often result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to allow for additional candidates, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before 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 recruitment exercise has now begun.
