No Fewer Than Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than six individuals have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were injured, including five who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the latest official data indicate, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since begun.
