No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
At least 6 individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were injured, among them 5 who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data indicate, and such enlistment drives normally attract large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has since started.
