No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
At least six people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were hurt, among them five who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, 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 government statistics show, and such recruitment events typically draw large crowds and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since started.
