No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive
At least six people have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, among them 5 who remain in critical condition.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent official data indicate, and such recruitment events typically attract large crowds and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since started.