At Least 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 Wednesday's "tragic" event seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, including 5 who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically draw large crowds and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since started.
