At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least 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 "tragic" incident seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were injured, among them 5 who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since begun.
