No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
At least six individuals have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" event seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," announced a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them 5 who are in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has since begun.
