No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
At least six people have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, including five who are in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.
