No Fewer Than Six Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than 6 people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," stated a release from the nation's military.
22 others were hurt, among them 5 who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
