At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event
At least 6 individuals have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," announced a release from the nation's military.
22 others were hurt, among them 5 who are in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as a number had faced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.
