At Least 6 Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive

No fewer than 6 people have lost their lives amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.

The midweek "devastating" incident appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," stated a release from the nation's military.

22 others were injured, among them five who are in critical condition.

A large crowd had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the military.

The country has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives typically draw massive gatherings and often lead to chaotic scenes.

The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to allow for additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.

Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.

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

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