No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than 6 people have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" incident appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two others were hurt, among them five who are in critical condition.
A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the most recent official data show, and such recruitment events typically draw large crowds and often lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was extended by a week to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced challenges in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has since begun.
