At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were injured, including five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent official data show, and such recruitment events typically attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had faced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since begun.
