No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least 6 individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such enlistment drives normally draw massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt 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 visited the injured in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
