No Fewer Than Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than 6 individuals have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 others were hurt, including 5 who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had faced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
