At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least 6 individuals have lost their lives amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them five who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.
