At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
At least six individuals have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," stated a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were injured, including 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics show, and such recruitment events typically draw massive gatherings and often lead to chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to allow for additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.
Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since started.
