No Fewer Than Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
At least 6 individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were injured, among them 5 who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives normally attract large crowds and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said 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 medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has since begun.
