No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least 6 individuals have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.
22 others were injured, among them 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics show, and such enlistment drives normally attract large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had faced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now begun.
