No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than 6 individuals have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, including 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives typically draw large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
