No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
At least 6 people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" incident appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were injured, including 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the most recent government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally draw large crowds and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
