At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 6 individuals have died during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them five who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent official data indicate, and such enlistment drives typically draw large crowds and often lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now begun.