At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least 6 people have died during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" event seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them five who remain in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since started.
