At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than six individuals have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them 5 who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events typically attract massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since begun.
