At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
No fewer than 6 individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" incident appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," stated a release from the nation's military.
22 others were hurt, among them 5 who are in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events typically draw massive gatherings and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now begun.
