No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than six individuals have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" event appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a release from the nation's military.
22 additional individuals were hurt, including five who remain in serious state.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data indicate, and such recruitment events typically draw large crowds and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since started.