No Fewer Than Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least 6 people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," announced a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, including five who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics show, and such enlistment drives normally draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
