No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than six individuals have died during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were injured, including 5 who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration 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 typically draw massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.
