At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than six people have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" event appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were hurt, including 5 who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has since started.
