No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than six individuals have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
22 others were hurt, including 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract large crowds and often lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
