At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than 6 individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were hurt, among them 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives typically attract large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now begun.
