At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than 6 people have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were hurt, among them five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the latest government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and often result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a week to allow for additional candidates, as a number had experienced challenges in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since begun.
