No Fewer Than 6 Perish 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 Ghana.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, among them 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events typically draw large crowds and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
