At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive

No fewer than 6 people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in Ghana.

The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.

Twenty-two others were hurt, among them five who are in critical condition.

Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.

The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and often lead to chaotic scenes.

The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.

Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.

The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.

Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since started.