No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 6 individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" incident appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," announced a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them five who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the hope 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 enlistment drives typically attract large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has since begun.
