At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least six people have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were hurt, including 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics show, and such recruitment events typically draw massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now begun.
