At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least 6 individuals have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" incident appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.
22 others were injured, among them 5 who are in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as some had experienced challenges in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.
