At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than six people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," announced a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, among them 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest official data indicate, and such enlistment drives normally attract large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since started.