At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than 6 people have died during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event seems 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 additional individuals were hurt, including 5 who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, 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 32%, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events typically draw large crowds and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
