At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least 6 individuals have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, including 5 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 aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events normally draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place ahead of 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 restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
