No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
At least six individuals have lost their lives amid a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," announced a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, among them 5 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 military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the latest official data indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract large crowds and often lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
