No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
At least 6 individuals have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were hurt, among them 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the latest official data indicate, and such recruitment events normally draw large crowds and often lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
