No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least 6 individuals have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were injured, among them five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to allow for more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since begun.
