At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least 6 individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" event seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, among them 5 who are in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
