No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
At least six individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, among them five who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events normally draw massive gatherings and often lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since started.
