No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than six people have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, among them five who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the latest government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically draw large crowds and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
