No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event
No fewer than 6 individuals have died during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "devastating" incident appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were hurt, among them 5 who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events normally attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since begun.
