No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least 6 individuals have lost their lives amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were hurt, among them five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to allow for additional candidates, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
