No Fewer Than Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least six people have died during a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, including 5 who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent official data indicate, and such recruitment events typically attract large crowds and often lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
