No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives 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 Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" incident appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were injured, among them 5 who are in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and often lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
