No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least 6 individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them 5 who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since begun.
