At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than six individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" event seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," stated a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were injured, including five who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data indicate, and such recruitment events typically draw massive gatherings and often result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now begun.
