At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
At least six individuals have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them five who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events normally draw massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now started.
