At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Event

At least 6 people have died during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.

The midweek "tragic" event appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.

Twenty-two others were injured, among them five who are in serious state.

Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the armed forces.

The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.

The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.

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

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

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