At Least 6 Perish in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Event

At least 6 people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.

The Wednesday's "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.

Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, including five who remain in serious state.

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

The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events typically attract large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.

The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the process.

Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.

Ghana's President President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.

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