At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least 6 people have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, including five who remain in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data indicate, and such enlistment drives normally attract large crowds and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
