At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least six individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "tragic" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.
22 additional individuals were hurt, including 5 who are in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
