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Six killed in Ghana military recruitment crowd crush
At least six people died and 22 others were injured-five critically-after a crowd surge at a military recruitment event in Ghana's capital, Accra, on Wednesday, according to the country's armed forces.
Cause of the incident
The crush occurred at El-Wak Stadium when "an unexpected surge of applicants breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," the military said in a statement. The event, which had drawn thousands of hopeful recruits, was scheduled to begin at 06:20 GMT.
Context and unemployment pressures
Ghana's youth unemployment rate stands at roughly 32%, according to the latest government data, fueling high turnout for such recruitment drives. Authorities had extended the application deadline by a week to ease congestion, but chaotic scenes remain common at these events.
Aftermath and investigation
President John Mahama visited the injured in hospital. Though the recruitment exercise briefly commenced, it was suspended in the afternoon to implement "additional measures for a seamless process," said Army spokesperson Capt. Veronica Adzo Arhin. An investigation into the incident has been announced.
