No Fewer Than Six Perish in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Event

No fewer than 6 people have died amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.

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

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

A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.

Ghana 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 frequently lead to chaotic scenes.

The closing date to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate more applicants, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.

Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.

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

Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now started.