No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than 6 individuals have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were hurt, among them five who remain in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and often result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.
