No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive

At least six individuals have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in Ghana.

The Wednesday's "tragic" event seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.

Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, among them 5 who are in critical condition.

A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.

Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events typically attract large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.

The deadline to submit applications for this event was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.

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

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

Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has since begun.