No Fewer Than Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," stated a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them five who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events normally draw massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
