At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than 6 people have died during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were hurt, including five who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
