At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than six people have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were hurt, among them 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events normally draw large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
