No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
At least 6 people have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," announced a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, among them 5 who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has since begun.
