No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
At least six individuals have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, including 5 who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events typically draw massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.
