No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than 6 people have died during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were injured, including five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
