No Fewer Than Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least 6 people have died during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were injured, among them five who are in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data indicate, and such recruitment events normally draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as some had faced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has since started.
