No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than six people have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them five who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of joining the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest official data indicate, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and often lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as some had faced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of 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.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
