At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than six people have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were injured, including five who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest official data indicate, and such recruitment events normally draw large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was extended by a week to allow for additional candidates, as some had experienced challenges in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has since started.
