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 stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were injured, including five who are in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events normally attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was extended by a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
