No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than six individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," announced a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them five who are in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
