At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than six people have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were hurt, among them five who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such recruitment events typically draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since started.
