No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least six people have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were hurt, including five who are in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the latest government statistics show, and such recruitment events typically attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
