No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
At least 6 people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," stated a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, including 5 who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up 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 32%, the most recent official data indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and often result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place 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 injured in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.