No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least 6 individuals have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were injured, including five who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics show, and such enlistment drives normally attract large crowds and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated 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 injured in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
