No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least 6 individuals have died amid a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically draw large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
