At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event
At least 6 individuals have died during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.
Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, including five who remain in serious state.
A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally draw massive gatherings and often lead to disorderly situations.
The closing date to apply for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
