No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than 6 people have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" event appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, including 5 who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw massive gatherings and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before 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 now begun.
