At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least six people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, including 5 who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives typically draw large crowds and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.
