At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive

At least six individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.

The Wednesday's "tragic" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.

22 others were hurt, among them 5 who are in critical condition.

A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the military.

Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics show, and such enlistment drives normally attract large crowds and frequently result in disorderly situations.

The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had faced difficulties in the process.

Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.

Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.

Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.