No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
At least 6 individuals have died during a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, including five who are in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
