At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than 6 people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them 5 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 armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a seven days 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.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since started.
