No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least 6 people have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" incident appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were injured, including 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics show, and such recruitment events typically draw large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had faced challenges in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
