At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than 6 individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, among them 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent official data indicate, and such enlistment drives normally attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a seven days to allow for more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.
