No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than six individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were injured, including five who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the latest government statistics show, and such enlistment drives normally draw massive gatherings and often result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.