At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event

No fewer than six people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.

The midweek "devastating" event appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.

22 additional individuals were hurt, including five who remain in serious state.

Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of joining the military.

Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest official data indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.

The closing date to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.

Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede occurred 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 recruitment exercise has since begun.