At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
At least six individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," stated a release from the nation's military.
22 others were hurt, including five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for additional candidates, as a number had experienced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.
