At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive

At least six people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.

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

Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, including 5 who are in serious state.

A large crowd had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of enlisting in the military.

Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and often lead to chaotic scenes.

The closing date to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced difficulties in the process.

Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.

Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.

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