No Fewer Than Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than six individuals have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," announced a release from the nation's military.
22 others were hurt, among them five who remain in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives typically draw large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has since begun.
