No Fewer Than Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than six individuals have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" event seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them 5 who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of joining 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 typically draw massive gatherings and often result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson 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 gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now started.