At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 6 individuals have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, among them 5 who are in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest official data indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place ahead of the event's scheduled start 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 begun.