No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than six individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, including 5 who are in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered 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 thirty-two percent, the latest official data show, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was extended by a seven days to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
