No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least 6 people have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" event appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them 5 who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such recruitment events typically attract large crowds and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now started.