No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
At least six individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," announced a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were hurt, among them five who are in serious state.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the most recent government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally attract massive gatherings and often result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced challenges in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
