At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than six individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," announced a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, including five who remain in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events typically attract massive gatherings and often result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
