No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least six people have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," stated a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were hurt, including five who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was extended by a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
