At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than six individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a release from the nation's military.
22 others were hurt, including 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the most recent government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically draw large crowds and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline 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 Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
