No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than six people have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, among them five who are in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.
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.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
