No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event

At least six individuals have died amid a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.

The midweek "tragic" incident appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.

Twenty-two others were injured, including five who are in critical condition.

A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.

Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally attract massive gatherings and often result in chaotic scenes.

The closing date to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced difficulties in the application procedure.

Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.

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

Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now started.