No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 6 people have died amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them five who are in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the most recent official data show, and such recruitment events typically attract large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had faced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain 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 medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
