No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
At least six individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.
22 others were injured, including five who are in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the most recent official data show, and such recruitment events normally draw large crowds and often lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to allow for additional candidates, as a number had experienced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has since started.