At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive

At least six individuals have died amid a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.

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

Twenty-two others were hurt, including 5 who remain in critical condition.

Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the armed forces.

Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and often lead to chaotic scenes.

The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had faced challenges in the process.

Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.

The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the injured in medical care.

Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.