No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
At least 6 people have lost their lives during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" event seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were injured, among them 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now begun.
