No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event

At least six individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.

The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.

22 others were hurt, among them 5 who are in serious state.

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

Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and frequently result in disorderly situations.

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

Military representative Captain 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.

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