No Fewer Than Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than 6 people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" incident appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, among them five who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events normally draw massive gatherings and often result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now begun.
