No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than six individuals have died during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were injured, including 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events normally draw large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was extended by a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has since begun.
