At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than six people have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, including 5 who are in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives typically draw large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced challenges in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
