At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than six individuals have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were injured, among them five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics show, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.
