No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least 6 people have lost their lives amid a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" event appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent official data indicate, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to allow for additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
