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

At least six individuals have lost their lives during a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.

The Wednesday's "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.

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

Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.

Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest official data indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and frequently result in chaotic scenes.

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

Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.

Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the injured in hospital.

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