At Least 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 6 people have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were hurt, among them five who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events normally draw large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has since begun.
