At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than 6 people have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" incident appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were injured, including five who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the latest official data show, and such enlistment drives typically draw large crowds and often lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
