At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than 6 individuals 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 Wednesday's "devastating" event seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were injured, among them five who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events typically draw large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as a number had faced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.
