No Fewer Than Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than 6 individuals have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered 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, including five who remain in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such recruitment events normally attract massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
