At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
At least 6 people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" incident appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were hurt, among them five who are in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since begun.
