No Fewer Than Six Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than six individuals have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" event seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, including five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events typically draw large crowds and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to allow for additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has since started.
