At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six individuals have died during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were hurt, among them five who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the latest official data indicate, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to allow for more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.
