No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least 6 people have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were injured, including 5 who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest official data indicate, and such enlistment drives typically draw large crowds and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now begun.
